Blood of Spring: Special Girl
by K. Fang-sama
Summary: Ayasegawa Haruchi is the younger sister of Fifth Seat Yumichika, and the new Sixth Seat of the Ninth Division. Despite their similarities though, she's is surprisingly different than most people would expect. Even Captain Hitsugaya. A threat hangs over her division now, and she must be ready to fight with everything she has. Hitsuxoc, Shiroxoc, toshiroxoc. Rating may go up.
1. Chapter 1

_**Well, let's see if we can get the old ball rolling again. :)**_

* * *

Blood of Spring: Special Girl

 **Chapter One**

Feet stomped throughout the Ninth Division. The sun was shining bright this morning, and the brewed tea smelled strong, a good tinge of lemon striking the air for those who were hungover. Most people of the Ninth, even their Fukutaichou, would be barely awake at eight in the morning, and were all sluggishly making their ways to their offices or duty stations. The exception came for the new Sixth Seat, who made it her job to rush past any and all she saw so that they'd wake up, save for those who were carrying stacks of papers.

She stood at 152 centimeters, and had long black hair with red streaks all throughout. Her eyes were teal, and her skin was a light cream. She had a good figure for being this short - she certainly wasn't petite by any means. Her uniform was a bit different than the average Shinigami - with slim sleeves, a red sash around her waist, and two turquoise arm bands on her forearms. She had on small hints of makeup as well, a shimmering gloss and light teal eyeshadow that you could barely notice, and her zanpakuto was almost hidden by the sash she wore - many people didn't even notice it. It was a regular katana with a black handle wrapping, a turquoise guard in the shape of an eight-pointed star, and a red sheath.

She rushed into her office and slammed the door shut just before her subordinates could nod off or take a sip of their morning coffee, a rush of air blowing past them, but nowhere near as bad as those the Sixth Seat had ran by a few moments ago. "Ohayou," she said as she began to organize her desk, signing the last of paperwork she had leftover from the night before and putting it in her finished stack. With the exception of the bottom five, seated officials shared offices - three to each office. And ever since she was dubbed Sixth Seat, she made a habit of finishing most of her work in advance. Especially if it was due before eleven in the morning.

"Ohayou, Ayasegawa-kun," her seventh and eighth seat said in unison as she grabbed the large bag on her chair and rushed out the door again. She raced through the hall towards her vice-captain's office, the speed of a demon at her side. The Ninth Division rumbled, making Hisagi hold his tea cup in place so it wouldn't spill over. At least he was able to poor his cup before she got in.

The rumbling stopped just outside of his door. "Come in, Haruchi." The door slid open as Vice-Captain Hisagi gathered the last of the papers and handed it to her. "The rest are on the coffee table," he said.

"Arigatou, fukutaichou," she said, bowing to him before going to the coffee table and organizing the paperwork into folders labeled with the division symbols.

Hisagi sighed, closing his eyes. "You know, I told you that you didn't have to call me that. I know I'm not the closest family friend, but that doesn't mean you gotta be so formal," he said, looking at her.

She finished filling in one of the folders marked for the first division before looking at him. "All the more reason to be formal, actually," she said before going through the next stack.

Her fukutaichou groaned, putting his head in his hand. "Don't tell me all those rumors are still bothering you. I wouldn't give you Sixth Seat if you didn't deserve it, Haruchi. That should be enough for you."

Haruchi's eyes hardened, her vein popping as she she began scowling at the wall. "It's not a matter of knowing, it's a matter of people recognizing it. And where some of our colleagues respect your choice, others doubt its integrity. That's what's so damn annoying about it!" She straightened the papers as loud as she could allow without ruining them. "Being called "The Eleventh Division's Brat" isn't an improvement, either."

Hisagi straightened up a bit, his eyes wide. "If that's happening, then you should be able to handle it. You are in a Seated position, you know?"

"For people who aren't my subordinates?" She asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Report them to me. I'm able to handle them."

"For people who aren't your subordinates?" She said, turning her attention back to the paperwork she was organizing.

He blinked, shaking his head before saying: "Haruchi, Captain Kurotsuchi is insane. We've been over this."

She scoffed a bit. "I wasn't talking about Captain Kurotsuchi," she said, finishing a stack for the Third Division. "Seems as though Captains Suì-Fēng and Kuchiki share his opinion of me," she said as she got another batch for the First Division organized, feeling the vice-captain's stare on her back. She finished the next folder and sighed, putting on top of the first one she made for the division. "I don't know what was harder to take: Captain Suì-Fēng saying it to my face or Captain Kuchiki saying it behind a closed door to Abarai-fukutaichou."

A silence dragged on for a bit, aside from the sound of Haruchi organizing the paperwork. She kept her face calm, all while Hisagi stared at her, trying to think of something to say. As she finished putting one of the final stacks in a folder, the silence was broken. "Haruchi," Hisagi said, his voice soft, "You can't expect everyone to respect your position just yet. You were given this position after you graduated, and that was five weeks ago. They haven't seen what I saw in you at the academy."

At first, she said nothing. Haruchi just started bundling the folders together so she wouldn't mix them up. Last thing she wanted was to give someone like Captain Kurotsuchi paperwork for the Eleventh Division. She'd never hear the end of it. After tying the fourth stack of folders, though, she sighed. "Maybe. But if I wasn't Ayasegawa, I get the feeling they wouldn't question it as much."

With that, she finished tying off the folders and put them in the bag she had around her shoulder. She bowed to Hisagi and ran out of the office, for once not saying the usual "Have a good morning," that she'd come to say to him ever since joining the Ninth Division. It made the vice-captain sigh heavily, leaning in his chair and folding his arms behind his head. "I wonder what Yumichika's said to her about this."

* * *

It was 8:15 am on-the-dot when Haruchi left her vice-captain. All sixth seats were required to take paperwork from their division's captain and vice-captain, and deliver them to the head officials of the other divisions. The morning load had to be handed to all officials by 10 pm, while the afternoon load had to be delivered by 6 pm. The sixth seats also acted as personal reminder boards for their superiors and would occasionally pick up certain documents for their division leaders. For the most part though, this last function would be carried out by their Seventh Seats.

Over the course of five weeks, Haruchi had come to learn some of the captains' routines, making it easier for her to decide when she should have the paperwork ready. If she went through the divisions quick enough, she could drop off the work for the Twelfth Division before their captain even came in, if only to avoid him calling her "brat." If there were any captain she'd prefer it coming out of the least... well, actually it would be Zaraki, but Kurotsuchi was almost worse.

Her deliveries began in descending order, starting with the Eighth Division. It didn't have to start this way, but she found the captain's laid back nature a welcoming and comforting start to her run. His vice-captain was also very respectful and appreciated Haruchi's promptness, so the two of them always got her back in a good mood. Sometimes, she even got to see them interacting in some hilarious way, usually with Ise-fukutaichou getting annoyed at her superior. It was chance that allowed that. With other superiors she'd resist the urge to laugh at them, but never these two. Something neither of them seemed to mind too much.

Haruchi smiled as she ran up the stairs, her steps echoing loudly and scaring every Shinigami in the vicinity. Those who were in the Sixth Seat's way jumped back or dived out of the way in a frenzied panic, including the guards at the entrance. The sound of her arrival was enough to wake up Captain Kyouraku from his morning nap, putting a small smile on his face. "She's causing such a panic," Nanao said sighing, adjusting her glasses. "Why haven't you said anything to her about it, Captain?"

Kyouraku sat up, tilting his straw hat a bit. "Come now, Nanao. You know as well as I do that she's headstrong to prove herself. Besides, if she was really causing that much trouble, she wouldn't run at half that speed." Nanao sighed again, about to add something before a knock came at the door. "Come in, Haruchi-chan!" The captain called.

It was a couple seconds before the door opened, but when it did, Haruchi walked in slowly, blushing a bit. "Gomenasai, Taichou, I wasn't expecting you to call me that," she said, her eyes still wide. Her head was also lowered, and her hand was scratching the back of her neck.

The Eighth Captain laughed at her loss of words. "Is it all right if I call you that? I feel like Ayasegawa-san's a bit too strung up, especially since last week," he said, getting a small snicker out of Haruchi as she looked away. Last week he had Nanao playing mystical-sounding music out of a boom box and throwing rose petals while he was relaxing in the courtyard. The track had changed into a more upbeat track, and when it did, Nanao dumped the petals on him and turned up the volume on the speakers. It left Haruchi on the ground, she was laughing so hard. "By that then, I take it it's ok then."

Haruchi lifted her head, a smile on her face. "Hai Taichou," she said, grabbing the folders she had for the Eighth Division and walking to Kyouraku's desk. "The topics for Saturday's meeting are on top, followed by the reconstruction in District 17, then upcoming events run through the Gotai 13," she said.

"Thank you," he said as she walked to Nanao's desk.

"There are a few files my fukutaichou needs ready before the meeting tomorrow afternoon. I put that after the transfer forms and financial reviews." Nanao nodded at her. "Is there anything you need, Captain?" Haruchi asked before leaving.

The Captain tipped his hat at her. "Just for you to have a good day. Try to breathe past whatever's bugging you, okay?" Again, Haruchi's eyes widened. She almost asked the Captain what he was talking about, but resigned to thanking him and leaving. She had to remind herself that he had been a captain for a while, it shouldn't be a problem for him to read her. Especially with Nanao as a vice-captain.

Haruchi continued her run, dropping off the folders for the Seventh Division before heading off to the Sixth. Depending on the morning, Captain Kuchiki may or may not be in the office with his vice-captain. Most mornings, she wished him to not be there, though. Mainly because it allowed her to talk with Renji for a few minutes. So when she knocked and heard the vice-captain call out to her, she couldn't help but grin.

"Hey, Renji," she said closing the door behind her, just in case the captain walked in.

"Hey, how ya been?" He asked, a forced grin on his face.

"Despite being in a division whose captain thinks I'm a brat, I'm pretty ok."

Sweat dropped on Renji's forehead and he frowned. "Oh... you heard that, huh?"

She looked over her shoulder as she placed some of the folders on Captain Kuchiki's desk, saying: "To be fair, he wasn't exactly being quiet about it."

More sweat dropped from Renji's face as a nervous chuckle rose from him. "Yeah, true..." he said as she gave him his folders. "You're not taking it too personally, are you?"

Haruchi hummed it over for a bit, eyes looking away from Renji as she mulled it over. When she stopped, she closed her eyes and shrugged. "I'm taking it a little more personally than when I hear Captain Kurotsuchi say it, but that's only because he said it to you behind a closed door. I can't really argue with him on that until I'm allowed to take a Performance Test, and that's over ten months from now," she said, closing her bag and walking towards the door.

Once she was about five feet away, the door opened and Captain Kuchiki stepped inside. She stopped and bowed. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Kuchiki-taichou," she said, waiting for him to walk past her before standing straight. When he did, she continued on her way out, not bothering to tell the captain what folders had what. He outright told her that he didn't need her to point out the obvious, and since then, she stopped explaining what was what.

"Sixth Seat Ayasegawa," Captain Kuchiki called just before she was out of earshot.

Haruchi froze, turning around and trying to maintain a composed smile. The Captain was now at his desk, preparing ink for his brush while looking at the first paper from the folders she left him. "Hai, Taichou?"

"To be fair," he said before looking at her through the corner of his eye, "you weren't exactly being quiet about it, either." Both her and Renji straightened their backs and could feel beads of cold sweat dropping down their faces in an instant. The captain stared at her for a few moments, before turning back to his paperwork with a smirk. "I look forward to seeing the results of your first Performance Test."

It was quiet for a few moments, Haruchi's face still-startled face betraying the tones of her inward cursing. _Shit! He's gonna let me live this down,_ she thought as she fought to recompose herself. When she did, she closed her eyes and bowed saying: "Arigatou, Taichou" before sliding the door shut. As she raced onto the Fifth Division, there was this innate desire to punch something, but she didn't have time this morning. It was almost 8:30 in the morning, and Kurotsuchi got to his office in only fifteen minutes.

So she rushed with as much grace and professionalism as she could allow. She didn't even have time to say hello to Captain Ukitake, much to her annoyance. She'd have to take extra time for that later, but she didn't regret skipping the usual greeting. It was 8:41 am when she got to the captain's office. After being let in by Nemu, she quickly dropped off the files before exiting - sensing Captain Kurotsuchi just around the corner. It was the closest call she had in weeks.

After leaving the Twelfth Division with greater speed than she'd normally allow herself, Haruchi slowed down into more of a fast walk as she moved towards the Eleventh Division. As she walked inside, she felt like she got to a semi-good part about her morning runs, despite Zaraki not wanting any of the paperwork she had to drop off for him. But, at the very least, she could finally blow off some steam.

"Hey! It's Haruchi!" One of the regular members of the division said before a whole group of them charged at her. She let out a sigh, a grin on her face as she dropped her bag and turned towards them, cracking her knuckles.

In the captain's office, Yumichika, Ikkaku and Zaraki were all looking over incident reports in the Rukongai and trying to decide how to dispatch men while Yachiru ran around the office with a pinwheel, laughing. "I don't know. Hardly seems worth sending out actual seated officers for," Yumichika said to Ikkaku after he suggested going into the field.

"What, you wanna just stand here and do nothing?" He asked, their captain looking away with disinterest.

"No, I'm just saying-" A loud crash and a large number of screams interrupted Yumichika's sentence, making everyone's heads perk up before looking at the door to the office. Then Yumichika looked at the clock and sighed, a grin on his face and a hand on his waist. "My special girl's arrived," he said.

"Yeah, and now we have to get the Fourth Division for a new batch of idiots," Ikkaku said, a vein popping in his forehead as he placed a hand on his face.

Their superiors stared at the door more before Yachiru spoke up. " _Wow_ , Ruchi must be having a really bad day if she's playing that much," she said, grinning.

The crashes got louder and made Zaraki sit up a little straighter. "Yeah, now that you mention it, she's throwing more punches than usual," he said in mild interest, looking at Yumichika, "what the hell happened to her this time?"

The Fifth Seat shrugged. "Aside from two more captains calling her "The Eleventh Division's Brat," I have no clue. She was fine when we left home this morning," he said as wood snapped down the hall.

A few more screams came, but after that, just a few groans could be heard from where they were. They all stared at the door, waiting in silence as footsteps came down the hallway. When they stopped, Zaraki yelled: "Just open the door, Haruchi."

The door slid open and there the Sixth Seat stood, not a scratch on her but her hair a complete mess. Enough to make Ikkaku laugh. "Hey Yumi-nii, you got a spare comb on you? They broke mine," she said casually, walking inside and shutting the door, trying to fix her hair.

Her brother scoffed at her. "Is that supposed to be a question? Who do you take me for?" He said, reaching into his orange sleeve and pulling out a comb for her.

"Thanks, Nii-sama!" Haruchi then kicked Ikkaku to the other side of the room, getting Yachiru to start giggling. "For fuck's sake, Ika, it's not that funny. Not even Ya-Ya was laughing," she said, a firm scowl on her face.

Ikkaku sat up with a growl, reaching for Hozukimaru. "You're really just asking for trouble, aren't you?"

Haruchi's eyes got dark. They narrowed into slits as she looked down at the man. Yachiru started laughing again and Zaraki smirked at the sight of her grabbing her sword. The elder Ayasegawa got out of the way, knowing this side of his sister too well. Ikkaku soon found himself regretting his words as the Sixth Seat said in a menacing tone: "You sure you wanna try your luck, Cue Ball?"

Ikkaku stayed on the floor, his being shaking and sweating profusely while he tried to form a sentence. The other three in the room just sat there as the atmosphere in the office got more tense and Haruchi's eyes grew more deadly. After a bit of stammering though, Ikkaku finally managed to say something. "N...no, Ma'am." It took a few moments, but the younger Ayasegawa did calm down. Once she did, she returned to combing her hair.

Yumichika snickered to himself. "You earned that one, Ikkaku." He then turned to his sister. "What happened earlier? Did Captain Suì-Fēng call you a brat again?"

Haruchi groaned, lowering her head and closing her eyes. "Yeah, but all that did was worsen my mood. Captain Kuchiki's the one that pulled a fast one." She took a few minutes to tell them about what happened in the Sixth Division, when it came to the scene of her leaving the office, everyone began laughing, even Zaraki. "It's not funny!"

"You're right, that's priceless!" Ikkaku laughed out, only stopping when he noticed Haruchi glaring at him again.

Yumichika let out a few snickers of his own. "You know, Special Girl, you have the ability to stop all of that. Why don't you?"

His sister groaned. "To get my hands dirty. Maybe after a year I'll do something about it."

Zaraki shook his head. "You're wasted as a Sixth Seat."

She chuckled, putting down the folders for the Eleventh. "You said that when I graduated, Uncle Ken."

"And I'll keep saying it," he said, shooting a serious look at her as she backed towards the door. "You better get a promotion soon."

"Ten months and three weeks to go, Uncle Ken!" With that, she ran out of the office and raced out of the room before he could grab his zanpakuto. She loved her uncle, but she had no intention of rising as soon as he liked. Especially not now, when she had to get to Matsumoto-fukutaichou before she snuck out of the office. Her captain was gonna be gone for another seven weeks and she was the only officer that got the woman to work at all.

* * *

 _ **Well, that was an interesting experience. This may take a while to update, fair warning, but... it feels good to be back. Let me know what you guys think of this. I've got at least two stories planned with this new character of mine.**_

 _ **~ K. Fang-sama**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**This is fun, I missed this.**_

* * *

Blood of Spring: Special Girl

 **Chapter Two**

Captain Hitsugaya, in the simplest terms, was in hell.

He was staying at the Kurosaki household, investigating strange reiatsu activity that had been occurring in Karakura. Which wouldn't be a bad thing if not for all the things he had to go through on a daily basis and would still have to go through for the next few weeks. Staying in the teen's home was never really the problem. Aside from the fact Ichigo still didn't address him properly, Captain Hitsugaya didn't mind it. No, the problem was with his annoying family. The fact he hadn't killed the Substitute's father was a miracle.

The day Hitsugaya came over and got into his gigai, Ichigo met him outside of the Urahara Shouten. "I told my dad that you were a classmate and that your apartment's under renovations. There's already a spot ready for you to sleep in, also. Just try and stay cool when we get there, though."

"Why in the world wouldn't I be?" He had asked the Substitute.

Ichigo just scratched the back of his head, a nervous grin on his face. "Just trust me," was all he said, avoiding the prodigy's eyes throughout the rest of the walk. Needless to say, Ichigo wasn't exaggerating.

It was beyond the whole scene where Ichigo's father attacked him, followed by the usual pissing match and fight that followed. No, once the old man looked at the captain, he ogled over how "cute" he was. Then he asked Ichigo if he took up babysitting as a part-time job. That alone got Hitsugaya's blood to boil. "Dammit, old man! He's not a kid, he's the guy from class I told you about!" The teen yelled, hitting his father over the head.

Everyone stared at Hitsugaya, whose being was shaking, head was down, and fist was clenched tight. "This is Hitsugaya-san?" They asked in unison, equal amounts of surprise coming from all of them.

At first, the captain remained silent, trying not to growl, keeping his eyes shut tight as his eyebrow twitched. He was like that for a good few moments, but through gritted teeth, he soon managed to say: "Yes. It's... nice to... meet... all of you." Ichigo used this opportunity to show the captain his bedroom, and stayed up there. "Is he always like that when you bring people over?" Toshiro asked, his tone slightly calmer. He always felt relieved being alone, but this was on a new level than in Seireitei.

Ichigo chuckled nervously. "Unfortunately...no. You're the first person to get that from my old man. He usually respects people's boundaries more, to be real," he said, grabbing a few pillows from his closet. He then stopped and turned to the albino. "Do you want a bed or futon set up for you, or do you wanna try out the closet?"

Hitsugaya's eyebrow was twitching again, and he was quiet for a few seconds. Then he sighed. "I'd prefer a bed, if that's possible." Ichigo just smiled and nodded at him. Yuzu called them down for dinner shortly after, making both of them feel a sense of dread just by looking at the door.

Over the next hour, Captain Hitsugaya had to deal with Ichigo's crazy father, who was asking a lot of rude questions like: "where are your parents," and "how could someone so young live by himself?" The absolute worst moment was when the man was hugging the captain too tight for his liking, all while saying: "Don't worry, Shiro-chan! If you need someone to turn to when you're scared of a storm or anything, I'll be ready and waiting for you." That time Toshiro hit the old man, himself - not caring about how much strength he used.

He remembered the medley of expression from the Kurosaki siblings. Yuzu was concerned about her father but rightfully scolded him for what he said, Karin just said that her father had it coming, and Ichigo was embarrassed and annoyed by the man more than he had been before. All of these reactions were, in the captain's mind, completely reasonable.

Now, Toshiro would have no problem letting the first night slide if it were just the one incident that occurred. But no, Isshin was a constant annoyance from the moment Toshiro woke in the morning until he went to bed at night. The captain ducked out through the bedroom more than once, just to avoid the possibility of the man hugging him again. Try as Ichigo might as this was going on, more than half his attempts to make the captain feel better ended in arguments. The only time there was peace in that house was when the father wasn't there, and that only happened while Hitsugaya was in the field.

Today just so happened to be one of those days. The captain was taking full advantage of it and taking a much-deserved nap in the bed that was set up for him. Well, the closest thing to a bed that the family had, it wasn't as comfortable as Ichigo's, nor as comfortable as Toshiro's bed in Seireitei. Oh God, if there was one thing he missed about Seireitei, it was being in his own bed at home. Hell, the sofa in his office was a welcoming thought too.

Then he thought about the paperwork that was waiting for him. His eyes opened wide, pure terror oozed from them Hitsugaya then grabbed one of the pillows he was laying on and hugged it against his face. A long, audible groan escaped the captain's lips. That was the worst part about all of this. Coming to the human world for three months, assigned to live with the substitute's crazy-ass family, scanning for signs of unsure disturbances at certain locations, having no concrete leads to continue off of, all to come home to mounds of paperwork that his vice-captain would never dream of going near.

The only thing that could make it worse was if she let the division go to ruin in his absence. Which it might, if she decided to have a party without his approval again. If no one there is sober enough to keep things from burning down (literally), it shouldn't happen.

The door to the bedroom opened and closed. Ichigo had taken his sister shopping earlier and was probably gonna do his homework before his father came home. When he came in though, he just stood in front of the door, looking at the young captain. "Um... are you okay, Toshiro?"

The albino could feel a vein popping. "It's Captain Hitsugaya!" He yelled through the pillow.

"I'm gonna take that as a 'no,'" Ichigo said, walking past the captain's bed and sitting down at his desk. "What's going on?" He asked after plopping his homework on his desk.

A loud sigh was muffled by the pillow, but then Toshiro sat up, removing the item from his face. The pillow in his lap, the captain shifted his body so he could face Ichigo. "I was just thinking Matsumoto and the paperwork," he said, putting a hand to his forehead.

"Oh," the substitute said, feeling sweat drip down from his face. "Would she really leave you with both of your paperwork for the last three months?"

Toshiro scowled, looking at the window and saying: "She'd leave me with a year's worth of it." Ichigo groaned at that. "Exactly," the captain said, rubbing his temples.

There was a brief silence, the albino lying back down and trying to sleep again. At least the Kurosaki's were respectful when he was sleeping. It allowed for some peace. This time, there wasn't pure silence just yet. The teen sighed, still looking at Toshiro. "You know, I've got a week off from school in a couple months. I was planning on going up to visit anyways, but I could come in and help you, if you want."

The captain opened his eyes shifting only so he was looking at Ichigo right-side-up. "What do you know about filling out paperwork?"

* * *

Matsumoto Rangiku, for lack of a better phrase, was in hell.

"Okay, Ranni, here's all the requisition forms that need to be filled in," the ebony in the room said to her. Rangiku loved Haruchi when they first met - she and Yumichika were very close and they all got along. But when it came to work, she was as strict as the Tenth Division's captain. Only difference was that she somehow found out how to get to Rangiku. "Come on, there's only a few more stacks," the girl added, smiling.

""A few more stacks?!" Rangiku yelled, looking at all the folders the sixth seat put on her desk. "That's way more than a few! And it's gonna take all day!"

"You said that about the after action reports from this morning."

"So what? There's way more of these forms, anyways," she said, lowering her head into her folded arms on her desk.

Haruchi rolled her eyes. "My subordinates bring me more of these in an hour than you sign in a day," she said, handing Matsumoto the first folder.

The vice-captain's head perked up. "That... shouldn't happen," she said, giving Haruchi a concerned look. "All of those papers should be handled by Shuuhei," she said.

The ebony shrugged. "He reviews them. Besides, it's nothing I can't handle on top of my current workload," she said, folding her arms with a warm smile. "Hell, I even have enough time to watch you in between runs."

Matsumoto cringed a bit, looking down at the first paper. "I'm surprised Shuuhei would even let you be here for so long," she said.

Haruchi giggled a bit. "Well, he wasn't happy the first few times, but after he got all the review forms I gave you, he told me to keep doing what I was doing. Can't ignore an order from my vice-captain, now can I?" Rangiku made a note to pay her vice-captain back for that. "Besides, this way all Captain Hitsugaya will have to do when he gets back is look at some review forms and sign them."

The vice-captain blinked. She hadn't thought about the captain in a while, now that she thought about it. "That's right. He's supposed to be there for another five weeks," she said, thinking to herself.

"Three," Haruchi said. Rangiku turned to her, puzzled. "The captain's due back in three weeks, exactly," Haruchi said, walking forward and sliding the form closer to Matsumoto. "So, best to get everything done for when he returns. Okay, Ranni?" A dark glint came from Haruchi's eyes, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Uh... right," she said, getting more ink ready before grabbing her brush. "How's that class of yours coming along? Is everything ready for it?"

The air around the sixth seat got brighter. "Almost. We're getting a few more tools ready, but aside from that, we have a good sized class, and we have one of the larger training rooms in the Ninth we get to use, and occasionally the foyer if we need it. We should be able to start scheduling classes soon."

The vice-captain smiled. "That's great! I'm glad you're getting established." Haruchi's smile grew, completely forgetting her manners and giggling a bit. She was so excited. "What was the name of this technique of yours, again?" Rangiku asked, putting the first paper aside to dry. The sixth seat was beaming at her, more than ready to go in depth on the subject.

* * *

Out in the North Rukongai, Ikkaku and Yumichika stood in the District 25, having finished interviewing some of the surviving men who attempted to defend the village. They were hunting rabbits and fishing at the lake when everything started, and once it did, the Shinigami assigned to the area could barely defend themselves from it - forget defending others.

The two of them had begun walking out to the forest where the attacks started, both hoping to find something interesting out there. "This is weird," Yumichika said, his hand resting on his zanpakuto. He looked around a bit, searching for signs of anyone else having been there besides the villagers. "Violence to this extent this close to the Gotai 13 is rare, but this is on a new playing field."

"Yeah, I know," Ikkaku said, resting Hozukimaru over his shoulders. "If it weren't for the damage and those guys' injuries, I wouldn't think a battle happened here at all. I can't sense anything." Ikkaku let out an annoyed growl. "How could no one pick up on this attack, also? There's so many signs of it."

Yumichika hummed to himself as they continued forward, following the bath of burnt and broken trees, leading to shrubs and grass that was clearly cut through. "I don't know. But if there's a sign of anything, we should be able to find it out that way," he said, stepping into the grass.

Ikkaku sighed heavily, following his fifth seat. "Yeah, we better."

* * *

 ** _And another chapter's up! Hope you guys are enjoying this. It's been a long time since I started a new story. I hope to finish it for you all. I also hope all the characters are in character. Please let me know if that's the case. I'll fix it before updating the story._**

 ** _~ K. Fang-sama_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**This seems to be going well. No complaints yet, so that's always good.**_

* * *

Blood of Spring: Special Girl

 **Chapter Three**

The Senkaimon closed behind Captain Hitsugaya as he re-entered the Gotai 13. After he got through, he handed the device he was given by the Twelfth Division to one of the officers waiting for him, not even sticking around to hear the kid welcome him back. Not because the boy was being rude or anything, Hitsugaya just didn't want to freeze someone solid because of his bad mood.

He glared at the ground as he made his way to the Tenth Division. What a wasted three months. According to the Twelfth Division, sending anybody else to do the investigation would be too dangerous because of the readings they were getting from Karakura. Quite the contrary, though. The captain only ever drew his zanpakuto to fight a regular hollow.

 _"What is it you're looking for again?" Ichigo had asked him the first time Hitsugaya went into the field with the device. All he was told was that the captain needed housing for an assignment, so he was clueless about why Toshiro's presence was a necessity._

 _At this point, though, so was the captain. "I'm scanning the area's reishi, as searching for any reiatsu disturbances. There have been multiple incidents that this changed within Karakura, and by these readings, it's ill-advised that someone other than a captain investigate," he said, standing straight and looking around._

 _The teen's eyes narrowed and he nodded. "Okay. Have you gotten anything from that scanner?"_

 _Hitsugaya sighed at this, putting the damn thing in his pocket before looking at the substitute. "This area contains higher quality reishi, which is more than a bit odd. However, the reiatsu levels that came to this area is gone. I can't pick up a trace of it."_

 _Ichigo narrowed his eyes, looking around a bit and grabbed Zangetsu. "Someone's taking a lot of trouble to hide themselves. What do you think for?" He asked. T_ _he albino couldn't blame him for that, none of this bode well to either of them._

 _But he only sighed. "I don't know. Let's hope we find something soon."_

They were never attacked, though. They had no leads, and three weeks prior to his departure, the alerts the Twelfth had been giving him stopped. He stayed stationed there longer and expected an attack soon, but to no avail. His presence was completely pointless. All that trip was good for was informing Hitsugaya that he should never stay at Ichigo's house ever again.

He looked out in the direction of his division. He would give anything just to go home, right now. To curl up in his bed and forget for a day that work didn't exist. But he was the captain, and the morning work was due in a little over an hour. At the very least he was going to get some of it done.

As he approached the Tenth Division, the guards at the gate greeted, kneeling in front of him and asking about his assignment. "As of now, there's nothing happening in Karakura. I would advise everyone to anticipate new orders at some point in the future... is the vice-captain, inside?"

"Yes, Captain. She and the Ninth Division's Sixth Seat are in the office, anticipating your arrival," one of the men said.

Well, there was an answer he didn't expect. "I wasn't aware the Ninth Division had a new sixth seat. What is he doing here?" He asked.

The men gave him a nervous expression. "She and Matsumoto-fukutaichou are handling an assignment," one of the men said, his face then calming. "She usually stays until around 10:30 to discuss it with the vice-captain, under orders by Hisagi-fukutaichou."

Toshiro's eyes narrowed. "I see. Back to your stations, then."

"Hai, Taichou!"

The men got back to their posts and Hitsugaya walked inside. A new assignment between his vice captain and the sixth seat of the ninth? That was... odd. To say the least. What could be so important that Hisagi's sixth seat was coordinating with Matsumoto for him. It wasn't like the vice-captain avoided the division, and he was good friends with her. Why was a sixth seat on assignment with Rangiku?

The captain was about to arrive in his office when a set of voices came from inside. The first was a loud whine, the whine that was characteristic of only his vice-captain. The other voice came after, another woman, which he assumed was the sixth seat. "Come on, Ranni, it's just this last bit," she had said, an tinge of impatience escaping her.

Toshiro blinked. So, Rangiku knew this girl. And by the sounds of things, this assignment was clearly something she didn't enjoy. He paused, putting a hand to his chin. Why was the Sixth Seat of the Ninth Division involved in it? Of the many possibilities, none of them made sense because Hisagi would have to be working closely with them in all cases.

Hearing a groan from Matsumoto, the captain wasted no more time. He opened the door to his office and was met with an unexpected sight. For starters, the office was clean. No stray papers or empty bottles of sake, no dust, no sign that the office was used as anything other than, well, an office. Then there was his own desk, which was almost completely clear of paperwork. There were a few folder stacks, but nothing that equaled the amount of three-month's work. The final sight was his vice-captain, at her desk, doing paperwork supervised by the sixth seat of the Ninth Division.

The black hair and red streaks caught his attention, and her eyes were unlike any shade of blue he'd seen before. Her choice in uniform definitely made her standout, especially with her figure. However, nothing was more of a standout than the air around her as she stood over Matsumoto, her arms crossed and one finger tapping impatiently. "Don't you think this is enough?" Matsumoto asked, pouting.

"No," the sixth seat said. "Captain Hitsugaya has to review all of those forms when he gets back. The least you can do is take care of his work so he doesn't have to stress about getting it done on time." The captain's eyebrows rose as the sixth seat pushed the paper closer to Rangiku and tapped on it with one finger, giving the vice-captain a serious look. "Besides, it's the last page. Why are you complaining when you're almost done?"

"A question I've been asking for years now," both women straightened their backs, eyes widening before they turned to see Captain Hitsugaya walking over to them. "Another one was how to get Matsumoto to do her half of the paperwork. I see you found the answer to that though," he said, smirking at Rangiku for a moment.

The sixth seat made an audible gulp before bowing with as much grace as quickness would allow. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Hitsugaya-taichou. It's an honor to meet you, sir."

The captain had taken a step back, staring bug-eyed at the ebony for a moment before recomposing himself. "Arigatou, Sixth Seat...?" He trailed off, waiting for her to stand straight.

She froze for a moment, but just bowed lower than she had before. "Gomenasai. I'm Sixth Seat Ayasegawa Haruchi of the Ninth Division, sir."

* * *

Haruchi felt so embarrassed. She didn't even hear the captain open the door, forget walking into the office. Even worse, he heard her disrespect his vice-captain. God, her integrity was gonna take such a hit for this. First Captain Kuchiki overhears her social conversations with Renji, now Captain Hitsugaya heard her scold her superior. How against protocol could she get?

There was another brief silence, but then the captain spoke again. "It's all right, Ayasegawa. You can stop bowing now, it's not necessary."

Slowly, the sixth seat rose, a nervous eye on the captain all the while. Her brother said that he was shorter than her, but she was surprised at how much shorter. Even more surprising was his face, though. His spiky white hair and turquoise eyes were captivating, but his facial structure was more mature than she had anticipated. He was definitely young, but his face made him look more like a young adult waiting for a growth spurt.

The captain smiled a bit. "A pleasure to meet you and your face-please don't bow and apologize again! I was kidding around," he said, raising a hand and narrowing his eyes at her before she could do it. Once done, he let out a heavy sigh. She was definitely more strung up than most sixth seats that came in. "My men outside told me that you had an assignment alongside my vice-captain. I take it Hisagi asked you to make sure she did the paperwork?" He asked, casually.

Haruchi chuckled nervously, scratching the back of her head. "Well, initially no. But nine days in as the new sixth seat and my fukutaichou was missing too many papers from the Tenth Division. I came here to try and get the documents he was missing and I got buried under a stack of papers. After that, I just lost my temper and stayed here until she was caught up with everything. It only became an order three days after, when she didn't hand in the next few days worth of work."

Sweat dropped from the captain's forehead as she laughed it off, a bit. Then he shook his head. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Ayasegawa. Thank you for keeping her on track while I was gone," Toshiro said, feeling a wave a regret for not being here before. At the very least if he got back earlier he could have scolded Rangiku.

Haruchi laughed a little more before looking back at him, smiling. "It's alright, Taichou. Honestly, it-" Haruchi stopped and looked past the captain and at the door, the air around her starting to get dark, again. "Ranni, where are you going?"

The captain looked at the desk, noticing Rangiku wasn't there and turned around, seeing her about to leave. The vice-captain stood rigid, and she was shaking a bit. She turned around, though, facing the sixth seat with a nervous grin. "I was just gonna get some uh... tea. For the captain," she said, her face betraying her. Her shaking intensified as Haruchi glared at her. "But I'll go over the last paper with you first, heh."

The captain's eyes widened as he watched his vice-captain return to her desk and finish the last paper she was on. After a few minutes of him staring, he turned his attention back to Haruchi. "Thank you, Ayasegawa. You didn't have to do any of that," he said to her.

The dark air around her disappeared and she smiled at him. "It's no problem, sir. I'm glad I was able to help you while you were away." Haruchi then turned back to Matsumoto and looked at the final sheet. She read over everything for a good ten minutes before putting the paper in the finished stack. "There, see? You're all done, Ranni. That wasn't so bad, was it?" The vice-captain groaned again, but not as loud as before. "You can get that uh-tea, for Captain Hitsugaya now."

Rangiku gave Haruchi a look of annoyance and exhaustion, but got up to leave. She got as far as the door before Haruchi called her again. "Oh, and Ranni!" The vice-captain turned around and was faced with a smile, the same dangerous smile that Unohana used to keep her patients from misbehaving. "I'll be back over here at 3pm with the afternoon load. Please don't make me go looking for you, okay?"

Sweat dripped from Matsumoto's face. "Uh... sure, Haruchi."

The elder woman left, leaving Captain Hitsugaya with the new sixth seat. "How did you do that?" The captain asked, still not believing everything he just saw.

The question caught Haruchi off guard a bit, but then she grin again, this time more pleasant. "Truth? I think Kusajishi-fukutaichou may have rubbed off on me. If she doesn't get what she wants long enough, then she'll lose all her cheerfulness."

The answer caught the captain off guard, but then he mulled it over. "I see... I take it you're closely related to Fifth Seat Ayasegawa, then." It was a statement, which she shook her head to. "A cousin, perhaps?"

Haruchi giggled a bit, but then stood straight with her arms behind her back. "Well, we're not related at all, to be honest. Yumi-nii adopted me as a younger sister when I was seven. His superiors came over to visit at least once a week, growing up. Especially Ya-Ya, I mean, Kusajishi-fukutaichou."

The captain's eyes narrowed in confusion for a moment, but then returned to his normal composure, crossing his arms. "Ayasegawa, if Kusajishi gives you permission to call her that, then you may call her that in my presence. The same goes for your other superiors, all right?"

The girl was stunned for a minute, blinking a few times before smiling. "Thank you, Captain." The captain smiled as well, heading over to his desk. "The front left stack all contain documents pertaining to the next division meeting, sir. The rest are organized oldest-to-newest."

Toshiro was about to thank her again, but a growl from her stomach stopped him. Haruchi's cheeks flashed pink, looking away and just missing the captain's smirk. "Thank you, Ayasegawa. Why don't you get yourself something to eat?"

The tint on her cheeks got darker. "Uh...hai, Taichou. Thank you." She bowed and then left, walking outside the Tenth Division and heading towards the Rukongai East District 1. If there was a day she needed to eat a sizeable brunch, it was today.

* * *

It was after 11pm in Karakura and Ichigo was lying down on his bed, looking at the area where Toshiro's had been for the last three months. He felt bad for the captain, really. After all the work he did in the field, he had the substitute's crazy father to deal with as a reward, and nothing to show for all of his time here. The carrot top wasn't surprised when the captain left annoyed, even less surprised after Toshiro told him he had no plans on staying over again. One thing they both agreed on, though, was that Ichigo should stay in touch.

They still had nothing to go on, but neither of them wanted to take their chances. Hell, Toshiro handed his soul phone to Ichigo before he left, telling him his office was on speed dial. Despite everything, the both of them were preparing for the worst, if and when it ever came. The substitute could only hope that whatever it was wouldn't be as bad as Aizen was.

Ichigo's badge started going off then, making the teen hop up and grab it, leaving his body in his bed. He raced halfway across Karakura, finding a good-sized hollow heading towards a residential area. Once it was in sight, Ichigo hopped up and sliced off one of its arms. The fight was quick, it didn't take much to kill these guys anymore, so Ichigo was able to sheathe Zangetsu in less than ten minutes.

Looking ahead though, he noticed someone. They were wearing a blue kimono, a straw hat, and had a sword strapped to their waist. They were watching the substitute, and from the feel of the reishi in the air, Ichigo got a hint that they weren't human. "Hey, you!" They looked up, tilting their straw hat at the teen. "Who are you? And how did you get reishi from the Seireitei here?"

They stood up, making Ichigo reach for Zangetsu. They stared at each other for a few minutes, but after that, they ran off. "Hey!" Ichigo yelled, darting after them. They twisted down a few streets, Ichigo keeping an eye on them from above. Whoever this was, they were fast. Not only that, he had more than a good feeling that they were strong. If that's the case, though, why is he running? Where is this guy leading me to?

The figure turned into an alley between two tall buildings, forcing Ichigo to hop down and chase after him. What he found made him stop dead in his tracks. Seven souls resided in this alley, most of them kids. That was surprising enough. But even worse was that their bodies were here, as well. They couldn't have been dead for more than an hour.

It took a few minutes to snap out of the shock, but when he did, Ichigo found that the man he was chasing was completely out of sight, and the reishi around him had dissipated. "Dammit!" He thought, turning his head around, his hand still on Zangetsu's handle. After a few minutes of hopeless looking, he removed his hand returned to looking at the souls. All of them couldn't believe what they were seeing, their own bodies on the floor and no way to go back to them.

Ichigo's blood boiled, but guilt came just in time to cover any of his cursing. He just watched them, wondering what he should do now. After a few minutes of coming up with answers that just left him as unsure as before, he reached into his pocket for Toshiro's soul phone, happy the captain gave it to him before he left.

* * *

 _ **I'm seriously beginning to enjoy this one. I hope you guys are, too. I can't remember the last time I updated this quickly.**_

 _ **~ K. Fang-sama**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Let's keep things moving!**_

* * *

Blood of Spring: Special Girl

 **Chapter Four**

Captain Hitsugaya ran to the captain-commander's office, repressing the panic that rose from the sudden news. He expected Kurosaki to call at some point, but not so soon after the captain left. And what he found... Needless to say, hearing the substitute struggling to hold himself together didn't come as a surprise once he managed to tell him everything that happened.

The albino sent his vice-captain to the Human World to help out with the investigation and advised Kurosaki to get in touch with Urahara, but to not leave the vicinity. After that was done, the captain ran out to inform the soutaichou. With any luck, he hadn't gone to bed yet. He didn't want to know what Yamamoto was like after hours, especially if he was woken up.

He knocked on the office door, waiting patiently for a response. He heard a slight groan, no doubt because the old man was about to go to bed. "Who is it?" His vice-captain called.

"It's Captain Hitsugaya, may I come in?"

There was a brief pause, but Yamamoto responded instead of the vice-captain. "Enter." The albino did so, shutting the door behind him before walking in. He approached the head-captain's desk and then bowed. "My apologies, Soutaichou," he began before standing straight. "I know it's late, but I have an urgent report from Kurosaki Ichigo."

The old man lifted his head, slightly. "Kurosaki... you had left him earlier today."

The captain nodded. "Yes, but this all just happened a few minutes ago," he said, keeping his nerve in check as he spoke. After being given permission, he explained the results of his assignment in the human world before detailing everything that Ichigo had told him and what Hitsugaya had done in response after having learned such news.

After this, the soutaichou took a moment of silence before speaking again. "Very well. Tell Vice-Captain Matsumoto to expect Vice-Captains Kuchiki and Abarai first thing in the morning. She shall return in forty-eight hours with an update on the situation. Kuchiki and Abarai will remain on the scene to investigate. Any other urgent reports like this shall continue to run through your office. If the situation escalates, an emergency meeting shall be held."

"Hai, Soutaichou!" Hitsugaya bowed and left the first division. Looks like he'd have to stay in the barracks tonight. The captain didn't mind it, but his house was so much more comfortable.

* * *

Ayasegawa Haruchi was walking home, carrying her brother over her shoulders. Honestly, she should have just left his drunken ass in the barracks, it's what they're there for. But no, she refused to let Yumichika off that easily. They had the day off tomorrow and they were going to spend it together. Regardless of whether or not he was hungover, he was going out on the town with her.

The siblings lived in the third district of the East Rukongai, just outside of a city. The house they had was small, but more than functional. It had a kitchen, a small dining room, and a decent sized family area. There was a half bath on the first floor, and a full one upstairs. Both siblings had their own rooms, and there was even a guest bedroom. Said guest bedroom was also the smallest of the three bedrooms.

A fond smile graced Haruchi's face. Oh, the memories in this house. Moving into this house didn't give her the same feeling as their first house did, but this house was still just as dear to her. Playing outside with Ya-Ya, the fighting lessons from Ika, not to mention all the trips Yumichika took her on as a child. She chuckled to herself. "He must be _so_ happy I'm not a kid anymore."

"That's a question?" A mumbled voice asked her.

Haruchi stopped about three feet from their house, eyes widening at the sound before she turned her head towards her brother's. "Yumi-nii, how long have you been up?"

Yumichika hummed a bit, lifting his head slightly. "A little bit. The blood rush to my head is actually doing wonders for my headache."

The younger couldn't hold back her giggles, but soon sighed at him. "Well, then," she said, smirking, "I should get you inside and get you some asprin." Yumichika let his head rest on the girl's shoulder and gave her half a nod. Haruchi's smile only grew, using her foot to open the door and shut it behind them. She removed both hers and her brother's sandals and walked through the dining room and into the kitchen. "How sober are you, Nii-sama?"

The man chuckled a bit. "There's no man offering me a pony ride," he said nonchalantly.

Haruchi snorted at him. "Okay, asprin, water, then jasmine tea with lime." Yumichika sighed in a bit of excitement, even as his sister lowered him to the floor, positioning him to be sitting against the fridge. She gave him an icepack from the freezer, then moved for the asprin in the cupboard and a glass of water. Yumichika took them without complaint, chugging the entire before pressing his forehead against the metal fridge and the ice pack to the back of his neck.

A sigh of relief escaped him. "Sweet relief," he said.

His sister laughed a bit, putting the tea kettle on the stove and grabbing a lime from the basket on the counter. "You gonna survive going out on the town, Yumi-nii?" She asked, her playful smirk ever-so-present as she cut a few slices of the fruit.

"Don't patronize me, Imouto," came the immediate response, Yumichika pointing at her with the cup still in his hand.

She chuckled a bit, taking the glass from him and refilling it. "Just checking, Yumi-nii. I can't take you to lunch at the usual spot if you're hungover," she said as steam came from the pot. She turned off the heat just before the steam could whistle, grabbing their cups and placing the tea leaves in. She poured the water, put the slices of lime in, then emptied the rest of the water into the sink.

Haruchi then grabbed the glass of water, sitting down on the floor next to her brother before giving it to him, watching the clock for when the tea was done steeping. "How was your day, today? Anything interesting happen?" Yumichika asked her as he turned around, placing the ice pack down and taking the water glass.

He took a sip and Haruchi answered with a smile. "It was pretty good. I got to meet Captain Hitsugaya, today. He looked stunned to see Ranni actually listen to someone and get her work done."

Yumichika chuckled at that. "Oh, really?" Haruchi nodded at him. "When did he get back?"

"About quarter after ten. Ranni was on the last page of paperwork and was complaining. I thought I'd get in trouble for getting annoyed with her, to be real." Yumichika laughed and Haruchi got up, grabbing their cups of tea and handing it to him. "But, he was quite polite actually. He thanked me for keeping her in check, and even apologized about the office incident that happened while he was gone," she said, taking a sip.

Her brother paused for a second, looking away from his sister and resting his head back against the fridge. " _Oh,_ you mean the day you got buried in the paperwork," he said to himself, getting a nod from his sister. "Well, that's good then. He seems to like you."

She nodded and they both took a sip of their tea. "Yeah... he even noted that we must be family. He didn't seem to mind it."

Yumichika smirked at this, straightening his back a bit. "Why would he? You got Rangiku to work on all the paperwork while he was gone. Besides, even if you didn't, Captain Hitsugaya - out of all Shinigami - knows what it's like to be called a brat when he doesn't deserve to be."

His sister's head perked up a bit, not having thought about that. "That's right, some of the jug-heads in the eleventh called him a punk-kid and some other names. I even heard Captain Kurostuchi calling him a child." The elder smiled, giving her a perked brow. "Yeah, I see your point. Being the youngest captain must be a pain in that regard."

The pair sipped their tea some more, taking in the quiet of the night in their dark kitchen. Then Yumichika spoke. "Hey, Special Girl, listen..." The fifth seat leaned forward, using his arms to hugs his closer to his chest. He watched his sister shift in the dark, getting into a similar position, but posing herself in a way that she could rest her head on her brother's shoulder. "There's something weird happening in the North Rukongai. I'm not sure what it is, but it's making me worried. I know that you promised to show off more either at the Performance Test, or all out under The Deal. But... if it turns into something bigger-"

"Please don't hold back?" She finished for him. He sighed and nodded. Haruchi snuggled a little closer to him. "Of course, Yumi-nii. I don't intend on dying any day soon." Her brother chuckled a bit, using his free hand to hold his sister closer to him. "Just be sure to do the same, okay? You have to be around the day The Deal's completed."

Another chuckle escaped Yumichika's lips. "Anything for my Special Girl." The siblings stayed like that for a short while before letting go of each other. They finished their tea, rinsed their cups and went to bed.

* * *

Captain Suì-Fēng had stayed late this evening. Usually she'd be in bed by now, but Yoruichi had called her. She was heading for the captain's office, and she needed to look at reports from the Stealth Unit over the last six months. Something had happened in Karakura, and where a different captain was overseeing the investigation, Yoruichi had hope that she could find a lead in some of their reports.

After said reports were brought into her office, the captain made sure that everything was organized and looked presentable for when her master showed up. She had cleaned the office a few times, actually. Everything had to be presentable for Yoruichi when she got there, and the reports had to be organized properly.

Not that that last part was much of an issue. If there was one good thing about the Eleventh Division's Brat getting the spot as Sixth Seat, it was her ability to organize things. She started incorporating folders on her third day, keeping the most important and urgent documents on top and making sure the necessary articles to review were in each folder. When requesting older information, each folder she had was separated by event and date.

The captain would never admit it, but this ability was too good for her to ignore. The sixth seat went as far as incorporating this into the Ninth Division's filing system, and managed to get all of them organized by her eighth week. Suì-Fēng may not think she deserved the position, but she more than liked the filing system she had. So much that she insisted the Second Division to do the same. With more man power, it took only a couple weeks. Never thought she'd be thankful for it, though.

A knock came at the door, snapping Suì-Fēng out of her trance. She put the broom aside, dusted herself off, and answered the door. "Konbawa, Yoruichi-sama," Suì-Fēng said with a smile.

"Thank you, Suì-Fēng. I just wish it was under better circumstances," Yoruichi said, waiting her student to step aside before walking into her office. The former captain stared at the stacks of folders, her eyes widening slightly. "You introduce a new filing method, Suì-Fēng?" She asked, a handing on her hip as she looked at the captain over her shoulder.

Suì-Fēng felt a sense of pride at seeing her master's smile. Nonetheless, she would never lie to her about it. "No, Yoruichi-sama. The Brat-I mean, the Ninth Division's new sixth seat began incorporating this method shortly after she joined. I found it more efficient, so I had the division redo the filing in this manner."

Yoruichi chuckled to herself. "'Brat?' That's an odd thought to have about someone this thorough," she said, nodding in the direction of the table so the two of them could get started. Suì-Fēng froze for a moment, but recomposed herself and followed her teacher. They knelt in front of the table, both grabbing a file and opening it. "We're looking for anything that may look suspicious. It doesn't matter how small it is, we don't know much with certainty about this new threat." Suì-Fēng nodded at her and began reading. "While we're doing that, though," the captain looked up and was met with Yoruichi's curious golden eyes. "tell me about this new sixth seat."

Again, Suì-Fēng froze, blinking every so often before shaking her head. "What for, Yoruichi-sama? Does she have something to do with this?"

"No, I severely doubt that," Yoruichi said honestly, "but for you to call her a brat, it takes more than just making you upset, Suì-Fēng. Tell me why." It wasn't an order, more a perk of her own curiosity. Like a mother asking about her daughter's day. The captain of the Second Division could very well not talk about it if she chose to, but she wouldn't. No, for Yoruichi, Suì-Fēng would do almost anything.

With a heavy sigh and the first page opened, the captain began. "The Eleventh Division's Brat," she began, steering her master's attention from the first folder she had in her hands. "Her name is Ayasegawa Haruchi. She's the younger sister of their fifth seat. And from what I can tell, all of his superiors are more like her family than her superiors."

Yoruichi lowered the folder a bit, looking at her student again. "That's not inherently a bad thing, Suì-Fēng. Our relationship was like that at first, now look at where you are."

She made a calming breath at the sight of her master's smile. "That's true. But that's not my reasoning. She uses her brother's influence to help her get ahead as Shinigami," she said, flipping the page of the folder she was on.

Yoruichi's brow rose. "How so?"

The ebony growled lowly, her expression calm as she put the folder down on the table and crossed her arms. "She got a professor at the Academy fired because she didn't like him. Her brother and his superiors filed it as misconduct, but from what I understand, she's always been a crap student of his."

There was a brief silence, Yoruichi's eyes widening for a second before her trademark smirk returned. "I see why that would upset you," she said, flipping a page. "But," Suì-Fēng's head rose, making eye-contact with her teacher as she waited for her to finish her sentence, "have you ever asked how the events occurred? I mean, I'm just going by her abilities to organize, but she doesn't appear to be the type to do that. Especially with Zaraki as her family - if anything, he'd expect her to grow a pair and rise the ranks on her own."

Suì-Fēng sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "No," she admitted. "I see your point, but her grades tell me a different story. She's average, at best."

"What about her vice-captain? Have you seen her fighting abilities?" The captain shook her head. "Well, I'd look into that a bit more, then. You never know the full picture until you look at it at all angles." Yoruichi then looked a little closer at the file before sighing, closing it and setting it to the side.

The younger then spoke up. "What exactly happened in Karakura, Yoruichi-sama? And what are you hoping to find in these files?" Yoruichi was silent for a moment after that, but then went into detail about what occurred a mere hour prior to her showing up.

* * *

 _ **I feel so excited with this story, I don't know why. also, please tell me if Suì-Fēng or Yoruichi are out of character at all. It's the first time I've written them into any of my Bleach fics, so I'm taking a shot in the dark on this one.**_

 _ **~ K. Fang-sama**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Five chapters, wow, I'm enjoying this too much. Hopefully you guys are too.**_

* * *

Blood of Spring: Special Girl

 **Chapter Five**

Renji, Rukia and Ichigo sat at a table in the park, waiting for Chad, Orihime and Uryu to show up. Rangiku had left for Seireitei to give an update on the situation in Karakura. More rather, lack there of.

It was just like the captain's visits: a sighting that left no real clues. Since the souls couldn't remember anything, they were allowed to pass on. They checked the homes of the deceased, but came up with as much nothing as they did in the alley. Traces of the higher quality reishi, but nothing else. One thing they knew for sure. Whoever that person watching Ichigo was, they were taunting them.

Ichigo and Hitsugaya especially. They had to have known they were looking for them, or at least, trying to look into whatever they were doing. To do this after Toshiro left, though. To wait for the substitute to be alone, all to lead him to that crime scene. They had a lot of nerve, and they were extremely confident in themselves. But... why though? What were they doing that caused the reiatsu disturbances? Why did they carry higher quality reishi around them? What were they planning?

Having so little to go on made the substitute's blood boil. Hell, it made everyone upset in their own way. One would think the carnage would leave something behind, but no. And now all they could do was brew in their collective bad moods until something happened. "I should have kept chasing them," Ichigo said aloud, causing the vice-captains' heads to jerk in his direction.

The pair looked at each other then they looked at him. "Ichigo," Rukia said softly, "There's no way you could have known what he was leading you towards. He was only trying to mess with you."

"And it worked," came the quick reply, the rubbing his eyes. A bunch of souls that needed to move on was one thing. A couple dead bodies was another. But the souls hovering over their just-murdered bodies, some of them just kids... Ichigo couldn't shake the image out of his head. He couldn't get the sound of their voices out of his head - when they cried for their moms and begged him to let them live and go home.

The Shinigami lowered their heads, their eyes softening. Usually they'd be annoyed with Ichigo at this point, shout at him for letting his own misery get the better of him. But when Urahara told them about what he saw, they couldn't be as hard on the teen as they would, normally. That sight would mess up officers twice their age, Ichigo wasn't even seventeen yet.

A thought came to Renji, making his eyebrows raise before shifting to look at Ichigo. "Hey," he called, waiting for the substitute to get his head out of his hands. He had to wait a few minutes, but the carrot top lifted his head. His eyes looked more dead than they did in his usual bad moods. "We can't change what happened, but we can get ahead of them. And at moments we get stuck or we have to stop, we can get stronger than them."

His words struck a cord with Ichigo, but the teen's eyes then looked back down. "This guy took those kids from their homes and killed them in that alley, all just so you'd find them. I think it's more than just messing with your head," that made Ichigo look up at him again, his face growing slightly more serious. "They want you twiddling your thumbs and wondering what to do. And if you do that, they're just gonna cause more havoc without you realizing it," Renji finished, his face stern.

Ichigo was at a loss for words, staring at the red head in disbelief before looking down. "I... I didn't think of it like that," he said.

"Of course you didn't, that was the whole point," Renji said, sitting on the table they were at. "That's why we're here. Let's try to focus on that so we can hit 'em back for killing those people." The thought made Ichigo smirk, which Renji returned.

"A good piece of advice," they heard suddenly, making their heads jerk. There Uryu was, adjusting his glasses, light reflecting off of them as creepily as ever.

Ichigo felt sweat drip from his face. "How long have you been there?" He asked.

"After all this time, you still can't tell when I'm nearby? Maybe you should focus on training that next," the Quincy said, taking a seat at the table. "Chad and Orihime will be here soon. They're just grabbing a few things."

Ichigo was quiet for a few moments, not quite past Ishida's snide answer from before. Then he sighed. "Alright," he said, shifting in his seat. "Do you know if there was anything significant about those people? I know you said you were looking for possible connections."

"Yes," Ishida sighed out, adjusting his glasses again. "From what I could find, the only common connection they had was how they died," Ichigo looked down again. "To be real, I was grabbing at straws. Considering how little evidence we've been left with, I would've been surprised if it wasn't random."

"Yeah, I guess that would be expecting too much," Rukia said.

Chad and Orihime ran up to them, a bag in Orihime's hand. "Sorry we're late," Orihime said, her trademark smile on her face.

"Orihime wanted to order some lunch for everybody," Chad explained briefly as Orihime put the bag on the table.

"That's right! So, everyone dig in," she said cheerfully, grabbing the food containers.

The four friends all thanked Orihime, then went about eating. They caught each other up on the angles they had looked into, all revealing that they had nothing to go on. After that, they all ate in an uncomfortable silence, the spirit not quite broken but nor quite cheerful, either. Then Ichigo glared at his near-empty-dish and tossed it on the table. "This won't work," he said, catching everyone's attention.

"What are you talking about?" Renji asked him, hoping the teen hadn't reverted back to his depressed mood.

Ichigo was glaring at nothing in particular before making eye-contact with Renji, crossing his arms. "The way we've been investigating this whole thing," he said. "Think about it, they ducked Toshiro for three months until he left. This one guy reveals himself to me all to lead me to those souls. We looked at the souls, their homes, and the surrounding area for answers. Hell, we even went back to the last sighting the Twelfth Division reported. If these guys are smart enough not to leave a trace, then they're smart enough to predict how the investigation's gonna continue."

Everyone's eyes widened at him, excluding Chad's. "So," the big guy said, "to get ahead of them, we need to break pattern and try something completely different."

"Yeah, I can see where your head's going," Rukia said, a smirk on her face. "Any idea on where to start?"

Ichigo nodded. "Well, this guy showed himself while I was fighting a hollow. He might have even killed those people while I was fighting it. The fact is, he was comfortable just standing there while the thing was attacking. I think we should look at areas hollows were seen in the last three-four months. They might not have been as careful because we didn't notice them." The thought had some merit, getting the groups glum faces to brighten up a bit. "I'm also gonna call Toshiro. They might have been following him while he was down here, so I need to know where he went while he was alone."

"All right then," Uryu said, standing up. "I know a few locations that we can look at already. You should call Captain Hitsugaya now and get locations from him. It would be best to let him know before he reports it to the captain-commander." Ichigo nodded, taking out the phone the albino left him and calling his office.

* * *

Haruchi was just about to finish her morning run. She had spent a little too much time in the Thirteenth Division, so she didn't arrive in the Tenth until a little after 9:30. To her surprise, both their fukutaichou and the fukutaichou of the Sixth were on assignment. Even weirder, the vice-captain of the Second Division was banished to the exterior of the office and forced to take all the paperwork. The ebony knew the something odd was going on, but she didn't think it would affect this many divisions this quickly.

She approached the Tenth Division and took a calming breath. Haruchi hoped Captain Hitsugaya wouldn't be upset with her. Talking to Captain Ukitake about her days off was therapeutic in a way. He always seemed like that caring father, always listening to the desires of his children. He was also the father that liked giving people a lot of snacks.

That last part... well, she didn't completely mind it, she loved the candy he gave her. It was just... so unprofessional to walk around with all of it, but she didn't have the heart to tell the man "no." Ukitake was more sweet than he had to be, the least she could was accept the treats he gave her. Besides, they were the perfect substitutes on days she didn't have time to get brunch. Today being no different.

Haruchi walked up to the captain's office, hearing him speaking through the door. "Yes, Kurosaki, that's all the places I went," she heard him say. Kurosaki Ichigo... that was the guy that beat Uncle Ken a few years back, when Aizen was the number one concern. Yeah, her brother talked about him a lot. She couldn't blame him, a teenage substitute Shinigami beat his captain and lived to tell about it. That was a feet most people could only dream of.

"Are you sure this plan will work?" He asked. The sixth seat assumed the captain was using the phone. Whatever the case was, she hoped it was enough not to get a scolding from the captain. They started off on good terms, Haruchi didn't want to think lesser of her because she was behind today. She heard him sigh through the door. "All right. Call me if you find anything."

There was a clank, informing Haruchi that the captain hung up the phone. Taking in a quiet breath, she knocked on the door. "Who is it?"

"Sixth Seat Ayasegawa Haruchi. May I come in, Captain?"

It was quiet for a few minutes, then a soft tap could be heard from behind the door. "Enter."

Haruchi opened the door, closing it behind her. "I'm sorry for being late, Captain. I was kept in the Thirteenth Division longer than I expected," she quickly said, trying to grab Tenth Division's bundle without any of Ukitake's sweets falling out.

The albino sighed, looking at her past his stacks of paperwork. "It is alright, Ayasegawa. Just try not to let it happen, again," he said, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. Haruchi closed her bag and unstrapped the folders, putting the captain's half on his desk before turning towards the vice-captain's desk. The paperwork that was behind the sofa was all that was brought in for her and it was all untouched. The ebony groaned. She'd have to hunt the vice-captain down, now. "Don't worry about it, Ayasegawa."

The sixth seat stood straight, looking at the captain with a raised brow. "Taichou?"

"Matsumoto is my vice-captain. You shouldn't be worrying about her," he said, taking a sip of his tea.

Haruchi blinked before shaking her head, placing the folders on Rangiku's desk. "With all due respect, Captain," she said, waiting for the captain to look at her before continuing. "But I've had to worry about her for the last three months. Going out to find her and dragging her back here doesn't take more than fifteen minutes," she finished, shrugging.

Again, the captain stared at her, dumbfounded. He tried forming words for a second but just fell back in his chair. " _How_ do you manage that?"

She giggled a bit. "Ya-Ya's one of my best friends. And when she wants something, it doesn't take her long to find it," the captain just kept staring at her as she walked back to his side of the room, his hand running through her hair. This girl was unbelievable. Haruchi laughed a bit, leaning against the captain's desk. " _That_ , and Ranni's not hard for me to find. I've got a technique that she can't escape, no matter how far she gets."

The captain still stared at her in bewilderment for a little while longer, taking in the color of her eyes a bit before shaking his head. "You are going to teach me this technique, then. It's clearly effective," he told her, looking back to his paperwork.

Haruchi's smile grew. "I'm actually starting a class on it, soon. We're still accepting registrations, and we schedule classes around meetings. If you're truly interested, Captain, I could grab a form for you."

Hitsugaya stopped and thought it over a bit, putting a hand to his chin. He never signed up for any clubs or classes since becoming Shinigami. He was always either working or training, he didn't have time to take on any hobbies. Although, he supposed this technique of Ayasegawa's could qualify as training, so it wasn't wasting time. Plus, she was scheduling the classes around meetings, so it's not like he'd have to worry about work. All he'd really have to worry about is getting Rangiku to do hers.

He sighed. "If you can get Rangiku to work during the class times, I suppose I could spare some time for it."

The girl was surprised at first but then her smile returned, warmer than ever. "Well, I better go find her then," she said, adjusting the strap of her bag.

Something hit the ground, making the two perk up before looking at the ground behind Haruchi. "Ayasegawa, is that candy?"

Haruchi could feel a good layer of sweat form on her face. "Uh... hai, Taichou. Captain Ukitake likes giving it to me. I really can't bring myself to tell him to stop," she explained, looking at the floor.

The sixth seat expected some comment about lying to him about being late, but the captain just hummed a bit before standing. "I see," he said as he walked around his desk and picked up the candy. "So he _does_ do that with more people. That's comforting to know," he said, placing the candy back in Haruchi's bag. The sixth seat just stared at him, confused. "I'm very well aware of Ukitake's habits when handing out snacks," he explained to her, an annoyed look on his face.

She blinked a few times then thought it over. _Now that I think about it... Captain Ukitake would look at Captain Hitsugaya more like a kid,_ she thought, shaking her head. She then looked back at the captain with a less nervous smile. "I see. Thank you for understanding, Taichou. I'm going to grab Ranni and that form for you now." The albino nodded at her and returned to his desk as she left. _It's good to know I'm not the only one,_ she thought, eating a piece of chocolate as she ran out.

* * *

Yumichika was looking at the different fashion magazines he got yesterday. Truly, there wasn't anything to do, right now. Aside from training and paperwork, his and Ikkaku's investigation in the Rukongai hit a giant brick wall.

There were so many attacks, all fairly close to the Gotai 13, but not so close to cause panic. In the North Rukongai, these attacks occurred in Districts 25, 30, and 38; in the West, they occurred in Districts 28 and 21; and in the South, it occurred in Districts 31 and 34. This all happened in a course of three weeks, all ending with many injured and dead.

But last week, it all just...stopped. No new attacks, no signs that anything was happening. At first, they presumed the people responsible had moved further back in the districts because of the increased security. They were permitted to go as far back as the eightieth districts in all directions, but all investigations led to a whole lot of nothing, and a few subordinates getting their asses handed to them.

The fifth seat groaned. He hated waiting for things to happen. A certain level of patience was needed for a fight, even more for an investigation. But for attacks like this to just stop was so... uncharacteristic of an advancing threat. They clearly had the upper hand, why not cause more havoc? What was the point in stopping? It's not like they were any closer to catching them than when they got started.

Yumichika wiped his eye. At least he had the latest editions he wanted. Him and Haruchi had been talking about going through their wardrobes and makeup before spring was over, so this gave him a few ideas on what to get her. "There's an elegance in simplicity, Yumi-nii," she once told him. They were in slight disagreement, but thankfully, she wasn't against being flashy, so long as it wasn't her entire wardrobe. "There needs to be some calm in the sea of glamour, don't you think?" The elder chuckled to himself. Yes, he supposed that last part was true.

He stopped then, thinking back to his sister. She had changed a bit after entering the academy. Granted, she was still the playful Imouto he always knew, she had become more, well, sociable. Haruchi didn't relate well with most other girls she met in the city. No, despite being very sociable with Yumichika and his superiors, she just never got along as well with the others in the town.

But in the academy, she actually made friends. A few of them were apparently helping her with some class she was organizing. And she was getting along with a few of her coworkers and superiors. She worked as hard as she did, not just because of her strong work ethic, but so she'd have the free time to be able to spend with everyone.

The thought made Yumichika smile. In truth, he was worried about his special girl. He loved her to bits and he would never leave her for anything, but life was still short. He didn't know how long he'd be around for her, not that he expected to die anytime soon. It's just... he wanted her to be able to take care of herself, and to have people in her life that would help her when she was down.

The elder was snapped out of his thoughts when Ikkaku opened the door, smirking. "Come on! We got a live alert."

Yumichika scrambled to his feet and grabbed his zanpakuto, following Ikkaku out. "Where to this time?"

"East District 39," he said with a grin. "Let's get a move on so we don't miss the action."

The fifth seat chuckled. "Don't have to tell me twice." And with that, both shunpo'ed to battle.

* * *

 _ **Well, I seem to be keeping things entertaining. I'm surprised at how many updates I've given this story in such a short period of time. Hopefully I can keep it up. :)**_

 _ **~ K. Fang-sama**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**And back to Bleach! God, I'm loving this project. This chapter took a little longer, but that's because I'm still a bit of a novice at fight scenes. That, and it ended up being longer than I anticipated. I think the more fight scenes I do, the longer chapters will get. Hope that's not a deal-breaker for you guys...**_

 _ **Anyways, back to the story.**_

* * *

Blood of Spring: Special Girl

 **Chapter Six**

Yumichika and Ikkaku ran out to the thirty-ninth district, grins on their faces. They could see fire rising from the village and people screaming in panic. There was a sound of swords clashing, and kido blasting, people running away screaming, trying to get to safety. Oh yes, the battle was still fresh and alive, and the two of them planned on slicing down every enemy in sight.

They reached the village, first locating whatever Shinigami were nearby and trying to handle the crowd. The mass amount of people were bumping and shoving, not turning back for anyone - some not even for their loved ones. The sight made Yumichika sick. "Get these people as far away from here as possible," Ikkaku ordered the first two Shinigami found.

Yumichika shook his head. Now was not the time to focus on ugly people and their hideous actions, not unless it was during combat. He ran ahead and found a few others, one of them trying to pick up his fallen comrade. "You, get him out of here," he told the man carrying his wounded friend. The fifth seat then turned to the others. "The rest of you, if anyone is still in their homes, lead them to safety. Evacuate as many people as you can."

"Yes, sir!" The Shinigami ran in different directions, looking in all the buildings nearby just as Ikkaku caught up.

"They seem to be further in the town," Yumichika said, looking over his shoulder.

Ikkaku grinned. "Good, that means there should be less people in our way when we get there." His subordinate smirked back at him and the two raced forward once more. The sound of something hard crashing into the ground could be heard up ahead. There was this high-pitched sound that made the two wince, but it didn't get annoying, at least not at first. They had blood in their eyes, just itching to unsheathe their zanpakutos. And as the sound of destruction increased, so did their excitement.

The attack was just beginning to push towards the center of the village. It was only a small group of assailants, about six men in total. But these men had caused enough havoc to take down more than a dozen Shinigami that were on guard, and the ones that were left standing were barely pulling through. Along with the deceased soldiers, there were several civilians from the village on the ground. Most of them were dead, and what few were alive were barely holding on. Again, Yumichika felt his stomach churn.

One of them was wearing a blue kimono, while the others wore green ones with only one sleeve. The all wore sandals, straw hats, and wielded katanas. What made them stand out was what was on their right wrists. It was hard to make it out, but it was bulky and blue, and it was wrapped tightly around their wrists, just not enough to affect the joint's ability to move. The one and blue and two of the guys in green were on top of a few structures, while the remaining three were on the ground. The three on the bottom had way less restraint on their reiatsu than the ones on top, hell they couldn't make out the reiatsu of those on top at all. But they could feel their bloodlust, regardless.

"Look alive, boys," the offender in blue called out, a smug grin on his face. "Looks like the Calvary's arrived."

The others laughed to themselves. "They don't look so tough," one of the others on the structures said.

"Yeah, a pretty boy and a baldy should be easy," said one on the ground.

The veins in Ikkaku's head pulsed, making him draw his sword and glare at the one who spoke last. "Well, then," he said, his menacing grin not instilling fear into any of them. "Guess I know who's gonna die first," he said.

Yumichika chuckled, drawing his blade. "By all means, have at it. I'll take care of his ugly friends."

"Go ahead and try it," said the assailant that called Ikkaku bald.

The two shunpo'ed forward, Ikkaku slashing immediately on the one who spoke. Yumichika on the other hand, managed his own fight between the pair standing closest to the idiot who challenged the third seat, and made sure they couldn't get anywhere near him.

Ikkaku slashed with intense ferocity, watching the idiot he was fighting struggle to block all of his attacks. "Ha! What happened to that big game of yours, huh? Did ya get cold feet, tough guy?" He yelled at him, taking pride in seeing the other panic. His strikes came faster, and the opponent's dodges got more hasty, barely blocking the sword at all. "You're such a joke!"

Before Ikkaku could dive in for the kill, a blast came from above. He dodged it with ease, but the interference was annoying. The third seat glared at one of the guy's green-wearing comrades. "You dumbass," the comrade chastised the other. "Do you have a death wish? Turn your anchisukiru back on! I'm not saving you twice for that."

The two who were attacking Yumichika stopped as well, keeping some considerable distance between them and the fifth seat. "Oh yeah. I almost forgot," one of the two said. The three they were fighting pressed a button on the blue thing on their wrists. A whitish-blue energy swerved around them, causing some of the loose sediment on the ground to move along with it.

The eyes of the seated officers widened, sensing one severe difference from before. "Ikkaku, their reiatsu."

"I know," the third seat said, holding the handle of Hozukimaru a little tighter. Then he smirked. "Ain't that cute? Here I thought your friends up there could suppress their reiatsu naturally. But no... it's just those damn bracelets your wearing."

They all chuckled. "Oh please. These bad boys are so much better than that," said the one versing Ikkaku.

Just before he could retort, the guy was out of sight. The two near Yumichika did the same. The two scanned the area, jumping up and moving back to evade their attacks. The two struggled at first, but then they began to attack as much as they dodged. The bastards were incredibly quick, though - keeping up with them ten times better than they had previous.

It became less of a fight and more of a dance. A dance with as much grace as a jackass eating hay. There was ducking, jumping, dodging, sliding, and a whole lot of slashing. But their was no contact between either side, aggravating the Eleventh Division officers quite a bit.

"I should turn it up a notch," said the one Ikkaku was aiming to kill. He twisted the button he had previously pressed, increasing the collective volume of the high-pitched sound the two had heard before. Again, the pair winced - Yumichika barely blocking one of the two he was versing. His partner was waiting for the bastard to move, but it was pointless. In the blink of an eye, the guy landed a direct hit to Ikkaku's shoulder.

"Ikkaku!"

"Turn around, Yumichika!" The ebony quickly did so, just blocking another attack. While he fought, Ikkaku grabbed the wrist of the guy he was fighting, keeping his grip strong. "You must think you're pretty tough just by wearing this stupid thing, don't you?" He asked his opponent, who was struggling to get out of the man's hold. One of the guys above fired at him again, but the third seat moved away, taking his prisoner with him: sword in his shoulder and all. "But 'cha know what?" Ikkaku said with a menacing grin. He grabbed the device with two of his fingers and his thumb, his Hozukimaru still in hand and pointed right at the guy's face. Then he began to tug on the device, causing sparks to fly. His hostage screamed in agony and Ikkaku felt his hand burn as he continued pulling the device. After few moments though, the device finally broke in half.

The assailant's wrist was bleeding profusely, and his screams became louder. The sound was short-lived, as Ikkaku delivered one good stab to the guy's chest, his breaths coming in as gasps and his vision blurring. "Didn't I tell you," the third seat said, catching his breath. "That you'd be the first one to die," he finished as he turned his head, a wry smirk on his face. His opponent fell, his reiatsu dissipating to almost nothing. Ikkaku removed the guy's sword from his shoulder, looking back at Yumichika. "Things getting too rough for you, Yumichika?"

Said fifth seat was holding back their two swords with his one, in a bit of an awkward position, no less. He had a few cuts now, but they were minor in comparison to the one on the third seat's shoulder. The man turned to his partner and smirked. "Get your own pigs to butt heads with. I'm not sharing mine."

"Pigs?!"

"Why you?!"

Yumichika flipped back with the purest elegance, avoiding their joint attack with no effort. He looked back at his partner. "Besides, I've got them figured out. Go take care of their friends up top. Those blasts are getting irritating," he said, tossing his hair back a bit.

Ikkaku smirked, getting ready to lunge forward. "Fine by me," he said, leaping in the air. He took on the other two in green, who fired blast after blast at him, keeping a good distance. "Is this another effect of those bracelets, boys? Can't fight me on your own, is that it?" He screamed, connecting his sheathe to the handle of his blade as he dodged another attack. "Extend, Hozukimaru!"

The three-part pole came into form, making the one in blue step back as his underlings fought, looking between the two Shinigami that had only just arrived. Yumichika was actually having fun, jumping, flipping and shunpo-ing away from his attacks. Their strategy was very basic, but their speed masked it for a few brief moments. First one would attack to divert Yumichika's attention, then another would attack to get him to push back, then both would charge for any areas that were open to them. He had to let himself get hit by each of them once to see the tactic, but once they ran for a joint attack, they were lucky to even get close to him.

"Now bloom, Fuji Kujaku," he said calmly, the zanpakuto turning into its well-known, multi-bladed sickle. He spun in between them as they charged with their next joint attack. For good measure, he stabbed them both in the backs. "How pathetic," Yumichika said, looking up. Ikkaku was still fighting the two he was with, but the one in blue was quietly making his way towards the forest, at quite the pace. Rage filled Yumichika's eyes and a growl rose from him. "Get back here!" He yelled, shunpo-ing after him.

The man ran far into the forest, the bracelet allowing him to keep a good distance between him and the fifth seat. _It doesn't matter,_ Yumichika thought. The high-pitched sound the device emitted would reveal which way the guy went. It didn't matter how fast he was or how far ahead, so long as the ebony could hear the damn thing ring. _What a coward. Running away from a fight when his men are dying,_ he thought in disgust. Nothing was uglier than an obvious superior running away from combat.

The guy then stopped at an open field, sword ready to block Yumichika's strike. The two stayed in a heated deadlock, the fifth seat glaring while the man chuckled. "I suppose I couldn't shake both of you," he said, smirking still. "But I suppose, killing a more powerful opponent will be quite the feat to my superiors." Yumichika's eyes widened and both of them pulled back, the ebony landing with grace while the man in blue slid back on the balls of his feet. "My name is Masayuki Yashiro. The least I can do is give you the name of the one who'll kill you," he said, racing forward.

"Don't count on it," the ebony replied, charging forward. The two clashed, but this time the man in blue - Masayuki - managed to push forward more, putting Yumichika on the defensive. They collided a few more times, all ending with the fifth seat barely holding back the man's sword. The next one put them into another stalemate, keeping pressure against their blades but neither giving heave or ho.

Then Masayuki removed one of his hands from the handle, twisting the button on the device: the anchisukiru. The energy rose around him again, the veins in his muscles pulsed as his kimono began flapping in the new breeze created around him. He pushed Yumichika back, dragging him by the heels of his feet before making him crash into a tree. The hole the ebony made was almost deep enough to make the tall, thick trunk snap.

Yashiro laughed. "Still think you can win? My anchisukiru gives me the ability to increase my power levels far beyond what you _pathetic_ Shinigami are limited to," he said as Yumichika staggered in his spot in the tree. He was bruised heavily by the crash alone, and he was certain the muscles in his back would have something to say to him later. But he managed to open his eyes, watching Masayuki as he played with his bracelet.

"You know what? I'm feeling generous," he suddenly said, turning the button again. The ebony's purple eyes widened, watching the energy around him expand, the air around him spinning like a heavy tornado, and it was getting strong with each turn. "I'm going to use my anchisukiru's full power. It allows me to surpass the level of even your soutaichou." The fifth seat growled to himself, trying desperately to move his arms and get up. They twitched a bit, but they didn't have the hold that he needed them to have just yet, the shock of the hit was still affecting them.

 _Damn it!_ He thought to himself. The storm around Yashiro continued to intensify, as did the man's laughter.

"Yes, just a few minutes more and you'll be able to feel its full power," he said, maniac laughter reaching the high heavens as the storm around him got more loud and intense. Then he stopped, struggling to even get a breath of air in. He fell to his knees and grabbed his throat, the vortex becoming more chaotic.

Purple eyes widened at the sight, but Yumichika was able to collect his bearings. The fifth seat stood, smiling with glee. "If this surpasses the power of Yamamoto-soutaichou, then it's clear that you can't handle even half of it," he said loud enough to be heard, expanding the blades of his sickle. "Looks like that ugly bracelet only does you so good for so long," he said next, getting ready to strike again. He can get him. The guy couldn't even adjust the device anymore, he was under so much pressure.

With a warrior's cry, Yumichika lunged forward, his sights on Masayuki's vitals. Out of the corner of his gorgeous purple eyes, though, a shot similar to what he had seen earlier came at him. He jumped to avoid it, landing with less grace than he would have liked. The ebony looked up just in time to see an elderly man beside Masayuki, deactivating his device before picking him up.

"Young people should know their limitations," the old fart said, putting the man in blue over his shoulder. The elder had a full head of grey hair, and long mustache to boot. Aside from his orange kimono, though, all the fifth seat could make out about him was a scar that started on the right side of his forehead and ran along the side of his eye and to the middle of his cheek.

 _Wait a minute... I've **seen** his ugly mug before! But... where?_ He wondered, staring at the man.

He was interrupted when the elder spoke again. "I told Masayuki that the maximum level shouldn't be tested just yet. But he didn't listen." Yumichika narrowed his eyes and moved to strike again, but the old man shunpo'ed away from him, standing at path above where the ebony was standing. "You are no different," the man said, getting Yumichika to harden his eyes. "It's good to know you haven't changed, Fifth Seat Ayasegawa."

The ebony's eyes widened as the old man moved to leave. "Wait a minute!" He yelled, his mind snapping back when he realized the man was walking away. "Hey, get back here!" Yumichika leaped up onto the path and followed in the old man's direction. But unlike Masayuki, he was gone. And no buzzing sound to lead him anywhere.

* * *

Ichigo was outside the Urahara Shouten, waiting for Toshiro to answer his office phone. It wasn't all too late in the evening this time, and for once, there was actually something to report. There was a sense of relief that came with that. Something was better than nothing, after all. But at the same time, it made Ichigo feel tense. They still had more places to search, and he didn't know if his hunch would yield any more results. And that was considering what they managed to find would tell them anything. Then he had to consider what the evidence meant, and it made him uneasy.

The soul phone stopped ringing. "Hello?" The young taichou said.

"Hey, Toshiro-" Ichigo was cut off.

"It's Captain Hitsugaya to you," the albino said, his voice rising a bit. The carrot top could feel the prodigy's signature scowl through the phone.

"Yeah... anyways, we found something today," he said.

A small, almost inaudible gasp came at the other end of the line, and by the sounds of things, Hitsugaya almost lost his grip on something. After a moment, he then spoke. "Well, go on," he ordered.

Ichigo sighed, sensing a small wave of relief from the captain. He felt bad in a way. If the substitute was correct, what he had may cause the young captain more stress than anything else. "It was a torn piece of clothing. In an alley near one of the last Hollow sightings. Urahara's analyzing it now, but I can already tell you it's not from around here."

He heard Toshiro take a sip of something before he spoke again. "How do you know for sure?"

"Well," Ichigo started, shuffling his feet, "I can't say with certainty that the reishi around it was the same that you were sensing while you were here, but Renji and Rukia both said that the quality of the reishi is too high for it to have come from Karakura," he said.

"I see," the young captain said calmly. Again, that wave of relief hit Ichigo, enough to make his neck tense up. "How long ago was that Hollow attack?" He then asked.

"Almost six weeks ago," came the response.

There was quiet for a short while, the sound of something against paper faintly making its way through the phone. Most likely the captain's ink brush, either filling in paperwork or taking notes. After a few minutes, the albino spoke again. "Alright. Good work, Kurosaki. Keep searching the older locations and call back if you find anything else or if Urahara gets something."

"Toshiro," Ichigo called.

The teen could feel the veins in Hitsugaya's head pulsing, but for once, he reserved the usual "Captain Hitsugaya" remark. "...what?" He asked, a growl threatening to rise up his throat.

The substitute sighed again. "Sorry, but... the guy I saw the other day... his kimono wasn't torn at all. There was nothing wrong with it," he told the captain. Again, it was quiet. He could feel Toshiro's annoyed face up until his eyes widened, another inaudible gasp following. "Toshiro, unless this guy brought a change of clothes with him-"

"Then he didn't come alone," the captain finished for him, his voice tense. More silence came, but the albino soon sighed through the phone. "I understand, Kurosaki. Thank you. Keep investigating and let me know if anything else turns up," he said.

"Right. Talk to ya soon." Ichigo hung up the phone, holding his head in his hand. The teen could feel even down in Karakura, as the captain hung up the phone, he had his elbows on his desk, his head in his hands, and an air of newfound worry about him.

* * *

Haruchi arrived in the Eleventh Division after 10pm. She had stayed late and helped her vice-captain with the after action reports on top of managing the requisition forms. Well... _helped_ was too strong a word. Took over so Hisagi could take a nap on the couch in the office was more accurate. All while she worked at his desk and finished both the reports and the forms.

There was a lot more than usual, and that caused her vice-captain to stay late more than once the last few days. Honestly, with all the events her division started planning in the last twenty-four hours, he had enough on his plate. The fact he hadn't told her he was working extra hours pissed her off. They weren't the closest family friends, sure, but she made it more than clear that she can help out. Even with her class coming together soon, Haruchi had way too much time on her hands. Even too much to spend with her own friends.

She made a mental note to remind them about the meeting they were having this weekend. They were still missing one set of tools that were required for the class, but they were in the works and would be ready by Tuesday. This meant that they could finally start making the class schedule. Perfect timing, considering Captain Hitsugaya's interest in it, now.

Muffled yelling from Zaraki's office snapped her back to reality. She could tell it was her brother, and by the sounds of things, he was at one of the angriest points he could get. Haruchi sighed. That wasn't gonna do either of them good. He made her worried when he got like this, and both of them lost precious hours of beauty sleep on nights like this. _Thank Kami it's Thursday,_ she thought, opening the door without knocking.

Zaraki was at his desk, Yachiru in his lap for a change as they watched a screaming Yumichika stomp back and forth in the office. Both he and Ikkaku were covered in bandages, the one who healed them was the fourth division's seventh seat - Yamada if Haruchi remembered right. Said seventh seat was treating Ikkaku's wounds and staring at the ebony, worrying that he might pull something. He was just too intimidated by the guys around him to say anything to Yumichika about it.

"Honestly! I cannot believe I let that fugly bastard get away! And that grump, who the fuck is he?! I can't have misplaced that fugly face, I know I've-" Her brother kept yelling things like this over and over, giving no regard to who was listening. His face was held in a tight glare, and his tone was so intense, you could have sworn he was breathing fire.

His younger sister watched this for a few moments, her head turning so often as Yumichika walked side-to-side. Then she looked at the captain. "Um... you wanna catch me up, Uncle Ken?"

The captain groaned. "Ikkaku and Yumichika intercepted an attack on the East 39th District. They were using some weird device to make themselves more powerful. Five dead, but two dipshits got away. Yumichika almost killed one of them, but some old man got in the way. After that, both of them got away, and now he's swearing that he's seen the old guy before but doesn't remember where. He's been screaming like that for the last twenty minutes," he said, looking back at his fifth seat.

Haruchi's face blanched and she stuffed her hands in her pockets, inhaling softly as she leaned back. "Yep, that'll do it," she said. Then she stood straight. "Have you tried calming him down at all?"

"Yes," Ikkaku groaned out, staring at his partner. "But nothing's working. We went from threats to promising him a shopping trip. Nothing worked," he said.

Haruchi raised a brow in his direction. "Are you sure you tried everything?"

Ikkaku glared at her. "Of course I'm sure, you stupid girl!"

The younger Ayasegawa ignored the last part, letting out a breath before looking at her brother. In the most innocent voice she could manage, she said: "Yumi-nii, you're gonna get wrinkles if your face is scrunched up for too long." In a jolt, Yumichika ran out of the office, making a mad dash for the bathroom.

Everyone stared at her for a few moments, eyes wide in shock and wonder. Haruchi chuckled. "The one thing that works better than giving him a shopping trip is the threat that he might ruin his own good looks," she told them. It took a moment, but once it registered with everyone, they nodded, going back to what they were doing before Yumichika got mad on them.

The elder soon returned, rubbing a spot on his forehead with a look of relief. "Arigatou, Imouto. I think I lucked out that time," he said.

Haruchi giggled. "That's okay, Yumi-nii. It's Thursday, anyways, so it's not like any wrinkle would have a chance of surviving the night," she said, closing her eyes and smiling.

Yumichika blinked a few times, a hand to his chin as he thought it over. After a moment or two, he smirked, placing his right hand on his hip and sighing in the purest pleasure. "Ah, yes, Spa night. And we have the facial crème that we needed this month." Haruchi nodded at him. "Will you allow me to do your nails, tonight, Special Girl?"

His sister let out a sigh, still smirking. The only reason her brother didn't do her nails for her was because the nails colors he chose... well, they were beautiful, but they were all so flashy. That was fine, she was pretty flashy herself when it came to her looks, but the nails just felt so unnecessary... but she needed to cheer him up if they were gonna sleep well. "Sure, Yumi-nii. Just promise me you'll use some of the bath salts tonight, okay? You're looking a little tense," she said.

He chuckled nervously before looking at her. "Well, a bad fight usually does that to me. But, yes, I promise." He held out an arm for his sister to take. She accepted it. "I'll see you tomorrow, guys." The siblings took their leave, getting out of earshot in time for Ikkaku to realize he'd have to write the after action report himself.

"So, Special Girl, how was your day?" Yumichika asked as they approached their usual path home.

Haruchi let out a breath, almost not believing what happened herself. "Well, Captain Hitsugaya registered for my class."

"You're kidding me," he said, his body turning fully towards her. She shook her head. Her brother let out a scoff of disbelief as they walked. "In all his years as captain, I don't think I've seen him get involved with anything," he said more to himself than to his sister.

The younger's eyebrows rose for a moment, but then they relaxed and a smirk forming on Haruchi's face. "Well, there's a first time for everything, Yumi-nii."

* * *

 _ **Thanks for reading and for enjoying the story so far. I hope my fight scene wasn't too bad. ^^**_

 _ **Oh! From now on, you can find translations of some of the words I use in the chapters down at the bottom. I have so much being put into this, I knew I'd have to give them names in Japanese. So, here's the first one.**_

 _Anchisukiru: (警備員) Security Guard. (It was the only good name translation I could find, so yeah)_

 _ **If you have recommendations for improvement, let me know.**_

 _ **~ K. Fang-sama**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**This story is seven chapters now and the last chapter was almost 5,000 words long. It's been awhile since I've written this much, for any of my fanfictions, actually... Guess that shows how much I'm liking this one.**_

* * *

Blood of Spring: Special Girl

 **Chapter Seven**

The following morning, after Yumichika's spa night, he and Ikkaku began looking into all the places the fifth seat had been in the last year. He was dead certain he had met the old man somewhere before, and the elder clearly knew who he was. "I never said my name or rank while in District 39," the ebony explained in a more calm manner that morning. "Even if I did, it didn't look like they had communication set up. This old guy has to be someone I've run into before," he said.

Which is how the last two months were spent. Summer was underway and every division's air conditioning was on. In the office they shared, Yumichika and Ikkaku looked at every place the fifth seat went, every assignment he was on, everything that he filed, and tracked every receipt from every purchase he made. Haruchi had come in a few times whenever she remembered things, whether it be another trip or what happened on such day of such month. Needless to say, they had a long way to go.

Looking into it for two months, the pair were only just finishing up with two weeks worth of Yumichika's movements since starting the assignment. It was enough to make Ikkaku's blood boil. "Dammit!" He yelled once they got to the end of the trail for two weeks, knocking back a stack of receipts. "Why do you have to go to so many places just for clothes?!" He screeched, his left eyebrow twitching.

The ebony looked at his partner with his standard casual look. "Any number of reasons. Some stores have some things others don't have, some stores have the same item for cheaper than the other place, some of them have better sales, and occasionally, I do like to treat myself and Haruchi to something," he said, folding his arms behind his head and leaning back into his chair.

His third seat growled for a few minutes, fighting the urge to beat up his best friend. Then he sighed, putting his head in his hand. "How well do you remember the old geezer's face, anyways? Do you really think you know him that well?" He eventually asked, taking a sip of coffee.

Yumichika hummed it over, pressing his lips to one side before saying: "I don't think I know him at all." Ikkaku looked at him with a raised brow, watching him stare at the ceiling and narrow his eyes. "But," he said, "I know that I've met him before. Something..." Yumichika trailed off a bit, getting mixed up with all the words he wanted to say. No matter how much he wracked his brain, the fart was still hard to place. To the fifth seat, though, he shouldn't have been. "Something... tells me that our interaction was important. That I butt heads with him in one way or another, I just don't know how."

Ikkaku watched his friend rub his face in aggravation before running his hands through his hair. The ebony then leaned above his desk, propped up on one elbow as he started looking at a different batch of receipts from fifteen days prior to the attack. It was then the third seat noticed how off his partner was. The guy didn't pull out his comb to fix his hair, the feathers around his eye were a mess, and the accessories he wore slouched in areas, almost as if they were put on wrong. It wasn't abnormal for Yumichika to get bored with an investigation, but this... this wasn't boredom.

"Hey," Ikkaku called, crossing his arms as he waited for his partner to raise his head. It took a few minutes, but he soon caught a glimpse of Yumichika's purple eyes. They stared at him with the same hopeless air that surrounded him, just with a hint of wonder. The third seat smirked at him. "If that's the case, then it probably didn't happen on a shopping trip you barely remember," he said.

The ebony sat up then, mulling over what his friend just told him. Then he smiled. "Which means getting through these receipts shouldn't take too long," he said, a new glint in his eyes as he began looking through the receipts for the day he was on. It was going by quickly, and at looking at the charges, Yumichika was able to dismiss them just as quickly as he grabbed them. "If we bring some of these to lunch, we might get the first month down by the end of the day," he said as he flipped through them.

The third seat chuckled. "Sure thing. Let's take a few minutes in the bathroom beforehand. I need to rinse off the smell of bureaucracy." That got a laugh from Yumichika. Little did the ebony know that his partner only said that so the fifth seat could straighten out his looks before they left for the mess hall. Knowing Yumichika, he'd kill half the Eleventh Division once they started mocking his looks, then he'd die from embarrassment.

* * *

Haruchi walked to Captain Hitsugaya's office for the second time that morning. After several delays, last minute sign ups and dropouts, and waiting for faulty equipment to be replaced, she finally had the class schedule for her course. Her friends and fellow instructors were handing them out together, but Haruchi wanted to give it to the captain, personally. He had made several inquiries about the technique - hell, part of the reason the equipment got replaced so quickly was because he put a call in.

She thought back to the frosty captain. He seemed distracted as of late. Even with Rangiku in the office helping with half the paperwork, Hitsugaya's head never really seemed to leave work. That was somewhat expected, his vice-captain told her that he was a workaholic, but this just went above that. He didn't respond as quickly when she knocked on the door to his office (sometimes Rangiku would answer for him), he rarely addressed her while she was in the office, he was a bit more irritable and he looked...

Tired.

No, that wasn't it. "Drained" was probably a better word for it. Although, Haruchi did notice the bags under the captain's eyes. He looked like he was gonna pass out the last time she saw his face. _And that was... oh, Kami, three days ago,_ she thought, a sudden pang of worry coming over her. Maybe she should talk to him about it. He only knew her for two months, but if she was noticing this, then the people closest to him couldn't be that far behind.

With a heavy sigh, the red-streaked-ebony knocked on the door. Her hands was on the class schedule, fidgeting every so often. It was quiet for a few minutes, the only sound coming behind the door were the ink brushes hitting the paper. "Who is it?" Captain Hitsugaya called this time.

 _Thank God,_ Haruchi though. "It's Sixth Seat Ayasegawa, Captain. May I come in?" She heard him sigh. It was a long and tired sighed. It made him sound... annoyed? _I hope I can put him in a better mood,_ she thought, biting her lip. The captain wasn't her friend or anything, but even if she didn't care

"Enter," he soon said. The sixth seat opened the door, finding the weirdest sight she could have imagined. Rangiku was in the room, at her desk, managing only a small stack of paperwork while her captain had the rest of the morning's paperwork on his desk. Haruchi knew that she divided the work evenly before she left earlier, but judging by the look Matsumoto gave her, the vice-captain didn't put all of the paperwork on Toshiro's desk this time. "What is it, Ayasegawa?"

The sixth seat shook her head. "Sorry, Captain, I just came by for a few things," she said, walking over to his desk. Hitsugaya put his brush down and lifted his head. Haruchi had to hold in a surprised shock and keep her facial features under control. The captain looked almost sick. His hair wasn't staying up right, the bags under his eyes had gotten larger and darker, and his face's skin tone almost matched his snowy locks. His eyes were irritated, but he kept rubbing them anyways, no doubt an effort to keep them open. If he were apart of Haruchi's family, she would have carried him to his personal quarters in the barracks. She felt pretty inclined to do it, regardless.

The captain took the paper and read it over. "A schedule?" He questioned, reading the top. "For 'Saisayaita Nami...' oh, yes, the course your teaching. Thank you," he said, pushing the schedule back before grabbing his brush again. "Anything else?"

"Uh, yes, I just need to talk to Ranni real quick. It's about the vice-captain's meeting tomorrow," she said, hoping the captain wasn't reading too far into her expression. Only at this point, he wasn't looking at her at all. He just nodded and proceeded with the paperwork. Haruchi looked at his vice-captain and tilted her head towards the door, not wanting him to hear anything she had to say.

Rangiku nodded and the two girls walked out of the office with the albino not noticing either of them. They walked a good distance away from the room before stopping in a hallway. "I have no idea what's going on," Matsumoto said. She knew Haruchi when she was concerned. Much longer in the room, she probably would have begun panicking in her head about the captain's health. "I came in at nine to do my half, as agreed, only to find all of it on his desk. He barely let me touch any of it," she said, her own serious nature shining through.

 _Not good,_ Haruchi thought. "How long has he been in there?" She asked her.

A groan came from Matsumoto's mouth. "Truth? I think he stayed there all night," she said. Haruchi sighed, a muffled "oh Kami" escaping her lips as she put her heads in her hands. "I told him I'd take the work today if he wanted to get some rest, but he told me not to bother," the vice-captain added.

Haruchi lifted her head from her hands, taking in a sharp breath through her nose before quickly letting it out through her mouth. "Okay. Let's head back to the office," she said, a forced smile on her face. Matsumoto didn't know if she should cringe or get ready to laugh. The sixth was not gonna leave until the captain took a break from work.

The two came back into the office, giggling a bit. "Thanks," Rangiku said, "I'll keep that in mind, for tomorrow."

"Anytime," the ebony said as the vice-captain went back to her desk. Haruchi walked back over to the captain's desk, her hands out in front of her, one holding the other over her thighs.

The captain didn't speak for a good five minutes, making the air in the room more stiff than it had been before. When he did speak, his head was still down, and he was getting finished with the stack he was on. "Something else, Ayasegawa?"

Haruchi paused, thinking over her words for a few more moments before speaking. "Captain," she began, "this may seem a bit out of line for me to say, but," there was a brief pause as the captain put the semi-final paper in the finished stack. The ebony then leaned forward a bit and bluntly asked: "Have you eaten anything, today?"

The question made the captain sit a bit straighter, blinking a few times as his brush laid in the ink. He turned to retort only to have his stomach growl at him. The growl was actually quite loud, making the albino thankful that the door was closed and that only Rangiku had started laughing. The sound was enough to make his face flush from embarrassment, but once it passed, he shook his head and returned to the sheet he was on.

The younger Ayasegawa sighed, not hesitating when she said: "You should really eat something, sir."

Hitsugaya groaned of annoyance and looked up at her, a tired but still intimidating glare making itself known. "I do not need you to baby me, Ayasegawa," he said his leer causing the room to drop five degrees. The sixth seat shivered slightly, but judging by Matsumoto's reaction, a five degree difference didn't mean much to her.

Haruchi sighed, her teal blue eyes making contact with his turquoise ones without fear. _Yumi-nii's bedhead is more frightening than this look,_ she thought as she placed a hand on her hip. "I'm not trying to baby you, Captain. I'm just concerned," she said. "You don't look well. And not eating when you're clearly hungry won't help with that."

The captain's eyes narrowed at her, a low growl escaping him. "Thank you for your concern," he said, a snarky air around him. "But if that's all, you can go. Save your mother-hen-complex for Hisagi."

Her eyes widened as the captain returned to the sheet he was on. She turned around to keep her reaction hidden from his gaze, hoping that if Rangiku saw it, it would be enough to keep her behavior in check. Her hands were clenched into fists, her entire body was shaking, and the dark air that always managed to scare the vice-captain came back with a vengeance. Oddly enough, only her eyebrows were furrowed together. Haruchi's eyes were wide with rage, and the rest of her facial muscles somehow weren't scrunched. She was taking in quick, uneven breaths through her nose, just in case whatever left her mouth would be deemed inappropriate.

After a few moments, Haruchi took in a deep, sharp breath through her nose and put one of her hands in her pocket. The motion got a squeak out of Matsumoto as the sixth seat took out a bundle of white rope and held it in front of her. The ebony stood there a little while longer until she stopped shaking and until she could get her face to look calmer. Then, in one swift turn of her heel, she faced the desk again, placing her hands behind her back and closing her eyes. "Hitsugaya-taichou."

The albino's brows knitted together as he finished the last sheet. He put it in the finished stack before looking at Haruchi, hands folded on his desk. "Yes, Ayasegawa?" He said, annoyed that he wasn't obeyed.

Teal eyes opened again, a serious look that fought the threat behind the captain's eyes. "I apologize in advanced for this." Before Hitsugaya could ask what she was talking about, hell broke loose in a mess of movements that he could barely follow.

Noise came from the office, most of centering around Toshiro's desk. The sixth seat moved in a blur, a fast blur that pushed and tugged the captain around eight way 'till Sunday. Everything moved so quickly, the albino's vision began playing tricks on him, and the constantly moving air felt like a storm that should have caused the paperwork to fly everywhere.

When things calmed down, the captain had to take a few moments to collect his bearings. He was at the side entrance of his office, now. Ayasegawa was gone, but all of his paperwork was either on Rangiku's desk or on the coffee table. For some reason, the girl hung him in a spot where feet couldn't even touch the ground, and his vice-captain looked cross between wanting to die of laughter and pure terror. He tried to move so he could climb down, only to find his arms bound to his back.

 _Wait a minute!_ Toshiro's head snapped back and saw the sixth seat he lost track of. She had him tied up and was holding him over her shoulder. The subordinate was smiling at Rangiku, the captain just realizing the dark air around her. But none of it was directed at the vice-captain. "Take care of that while we're gone, okay Ranni?"

The vice-captain stared a little longer, but then smirked at the both of them. "Sure. You two have fun, now!"

Toshiro's eyes widened as Haruchi opened the side entrance. "Matsumoto-!" The captain was cut off as Haruchi ran out, mixing her running speed with her shunpo that went undetected to anyone they ran by. Her speed was almost enough to put the second division to shame, and more than enough to freak out the captain. He couldn't grab on to anything, and the ebony was holding him by his legs, so he couldn't just kick her and land safely.

 _Dammit,_ he thought, starting to feel a bit queasy. _I'm going to kill them for this._

* * *

Renji sat in his desk in Karakura High School, scribbling along to what the instructor was saying for once, rather than being on his guard. He was starting to understand Captain Hitsugaya's exasperation with the assignment he had here. There was just so little to go on in this case, he may as well be a regular student at the school. At the very least, it was something to do.

Ichigo's hunch was a good hunch, there was no denying that. The further they went back, the more evidence they found that hollows had attacked whoever these guys were. The reishi was everywhere, but with no trace of their reiatsu. Hollow damage wasn't too difficult to spot, and because of that, they managed to recover a few pieces of evidence. In one week, they found a torn fabric, a broken sandal, and a broken tooth. The tooth was good for DNA, thankfully, but the fabric and sandal revealed why there were pockets of higher quality reishi around as of late.

Whoever these guys were, they came from the Rukongai.

The reishi was too dissipated to tell from which district specifically, or even get a range of districts to investigate, but there was no doubt about it. "Whoever they are, they had to have improvised a Senkaimon. It opening and closing would allow deposit the reishi, as well as release reiatsu from whatever district they're in," Urahara explained, a frown where his usual fox grin would be.

After that, there really wasn't much to go on. They left a scrawled taunt to Captain Hitsugaya near one of the places he went while on assignment, but other than that, their search led them back to nowhere. There was nothing from the Twelfth that alerted another fake Senkaimon opened, but they were ready to trace reishi from Karakura, if it ever seeped into the Seireitei. Hell, they even had a task force dispatched to search different locations for that same reishi. As it stood, though, it wasn't gonna yield results anytime soon.

Seven weeks of nothing got old pretty quick. What other ways they could go about the investigation turned up nothing, which begged the question: "What was there even left to try?" Renji wracked his brain about it, refusing to believe that there was no option left. Like everyone else, though, he was coming up empty.

"Abarai," the instructor called, snapping Renji out of his daze.

"Hai, Sensei," he said.

"Solve the equation on the board," she said. With much reluctance, the red-head stood and went to the board. God, he felt like he was back at the Academy. But, at least here there weren't any snobby nobles who thought that they were better than him. Now, they were just a couple of punk kids who thought they were better than him.

Renji finished the equation as best he could. He still didn't understand the point of this math unit, but he asserted himself, regardless. When he stepped back to show his answer, the instructor looked it over with a keen eye before saying: "This is incorrect. But, you managed to remember almost all of the steps." She then drew up a separate area, where three sets of numbers were meant to multiplied. "This is small, but it's also crucial. You can't just walk away before multiplying your data sets," she told him.

"Uh... hai," he said. The vice-captain was excused to his seat and continued following along with the class. He got a thumbs up from some of the group for trying, and even a few smiles. The lecture continued for another twenty minutes before the bell rang for Physical Education. As Renji packed up his things, a thought came to him. _Maybe there isn't a way to find more evidence,_ he thought, a smirk forming, _but there is a way to draw them out of hiding. I just need preapproval to get it done._

* * *

 _ **Well, there goes another chapter. I hope Toshiro wasn't OOC to people. Anyways, I'm glad to know that you guys are liking it, but please tell me what you think of things so far. What do you think might happen next? Do you think it's coming together well?**_

 _ **~ K. Fang-sama**_


	8. Chapter 8

**_Well, here we go again. :)_**

* * *

Blood of Spring: Special Girl

 **Chapter Eight**

Haruchi ran straight towards the first East District. She tried avoiding as many people as she could as she did this. She knew that most Shinigami wouldn't be able to see her while she was running this fast, but if any of them could, she didn't want them to see that she was carrying a captain over her shoulder, nor that she tied him up. That would lead to a lot of complications and she wasn't prepared to explain why she went to such measures. Nor did she intend to get in trouble because she was trying to help him.

Speaking of the captain, she looked back at him for a brief moment. The albino had allowed the upper half of his body to stay limp rather than forcing his head to stay up as she ran. Well, as much as he allowed himself to just let her carry him, the rush wasn't exactly letting his head to dangle upside down, nor make contact with Haruchi's back. That was fine, though. If either had occurred, it would only annoy him further and quite possibly make him dry heave.

 _There's one good thing about his stomach being empty,_ she thought. _I wouldn't be able to contain myself if he puked on me._

One more leap and she landed in the Rukongai. She then sped forward, getting away from the guards and nearby villagers before they could see them. There was just a bit more distance to go now. Thankfully, the spot she chose to get food was up on a hill a few miles ahead, with a pretty long forest path separating the village from the location. It was also a good bit away from the gate back into the Gotai 13, making it the perfect spot to stop. She didn't need the captain using shunpo to get back to his office, so it made sense to let him down when he didn't know where he was.

Once Haruchi made it to the path, she ran until she was a great distance from the village and was sure they were alone. After about five minutes on it, she moved Captain Hitsugaya so she was holding him more bridal style and then skidded to a halt. She let out a long, even breath before looking at her "passenger." Well, his hair looked more like its usual self, so that was good. The fact he was hunching over and retching every so often wasn't, and she was certain that he was more pale than before. His nerve was good, though. Most people who ride with her the first time are shaking by the end of it.

With somewhat-proud and kind of nervous smile, Haruchi set the captain down on his feet. She held him to make sure he stood up straight, and made sure she had a hold of the rope that bound his arms. She pat the captain's shoulder before backing up a bit, her one hand still holding onto the rope while her other one went to her hip. "Here we are," Haruchi said, a warm smile on her face.

Toshiro was having fun catching his breath when she said that, and continued doing so for the next two or three minutes. When he did, all of his anger came back in one foul swoop. "Ayasegawa, untie me, this instant!" He almost yelled, glaring at her once more.

She put up the one hand on her hip defensively, but the one holding his bounds stayed where it was. "Might wanna keep your reiatsu under control. We are in the Rukongai, after all." At saying that, the captain's head spun, noticing the dense trees and sensing the other souls nearby. He began cursing the sixth seat under his breath, but all she did was sigh. "Believe it or not, Captain, I wasn't planning on doing that," she said.

The albino glared at her again. "Could have fooled me."

"I'm serious." Haruchi huffed out a breath, narrowing her teal eyes at him. "I was only intending on - at least - convincing you to take a break and let Ranni do the paperwork. I'm sorry, but that 'mother-hen' comment got to me a little too much. Besides, it didn't sound like the Captain Hitsugaya I've come to know over the last few months," she said, her hand back on her hip and her head turning away slightly as she closed her eyes. Her? A mother-hen? _Kami, Yumi-nii would have fed me to the wolves._

The captain scoffed at her, also turning away. "You've only known me for two months, and you think you know me so well. How naïve are you?" Haruchi tugged him hard and pushed him back against the nearest tree. She then grabbed the collar of his shihakusho with one hand and lifted him off the ground so he was eye level with her. They were both glaring at each other, teal meeting turquoise with equal intensity. "Yes, you're _so_ sorry," he said after a few long moments of silence.

Haruchi didn't say anything to that at first. She just tilted her head, her facial features calming, save for the muscles around her eyes. Said teal orbs were more serious than angry, and they masked their intentions as they looked at him. If Hitsugaya had a different humor about him, he would have found either wonder or discomfort while she looked on, but he was still quite pissed.

Then his brow rose. Because the sixth seat raised the back of her hand a few inches in front of her cheek, just away from her mouth. After a few minutes of staring, the captain's eyes going back and forth between the ebony's face and her hand, Haruchi spoke. "My brother always told me," the captain looked back into her eyes, "that the skin tone of the back of my hand should always match my face. If it didn't, then that usually meant something was wrong with me." She lowered her hand, undoing some of the ropes and brought one of Toshiro's hands up, showing him the back of his hand. "The skin tone of your hand doesn't match your face. Much whiter, your own hair will have more color."

The albino's jaw tightened, his eyebrow lowering and his eyes softening a bit as he stared at his own hand. "When my brother told me this fact, he said it could mean a multitude of things. It can mean I haven't been in the sun enough, but he said most of the time, it contributed to one or multiple possibilities like: sickness, blood loss, dehydration, loss of sleep, and the body being deprived of sufficient nutrients." She let go of Hitsugaya's hand and he turned away from her.

Her serious gaze was on him for a few moments longer, and the captain wouldn't look at it. He felt so pathetic, and he was cursing himself for acting rude and - dare he say it - _childish_. The adjective burned at the back of his mind and it made him cringe, and he acted this way to a subordinate who did more than she had to. A subordinate that - despite everything he had said to her - had yet to really say anything disrespectful to him. If anything, Toshiro thought that she should have at this point. All she did was sigh, though.

"I don't know what's bothering you this much, Captain, nor do I expect you to tell me. Just... please promise me you'll take care of yourself," she said, the calm demeanor in her voice finishing in a more worried-frustration. The captain looked at her then, slight surprise coming to him when he saw her face. She looked so conflicted, cross between guilt over disobeying a superior and legitimate concern. If the situation dragged on much longer, he thought she would start crying.

After a few moments, guilt washed over his own face. "I... I'm sorry, Ayasegawa," he said. The girl relaxed slightly, some of the guilt fading away while the concern grew. "I shouldn't have been harsh with you. And yes, I promise I'll take care of myself." The captain gave her a reassuring smile. It took a few moments, but a small one came to her face, and when it did, she put Toshiro back on the ground, standing.

It was quiet for a few minutes longer as Haruchi turned the albino around to undo the rest of the rope. It took a few minutes, the knots appeared to be complicated, not to mention tight. Once he felt the bounds loosen around him more, Hitsugaya spoke again. "I'm just... worried about something, that's all. But I'm not able to do anything about it, so I went back to the one thing I could do."

"The paperwork," Haruchi said, her smile looking a bit closer to its normal self as she wrapped the rope into a bundle. Toshiro nodded, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked down at the ground. It was an odd coping mechanism, but it was also the only one he had. He really didn't know what else he could do, at least nothing he was comfortable with doing. "Honestly, Taichou," the ebony said suddenly, making him look up, "I can relate. I do extra paperwork just because I don't feel like I'm doing enough. On days my brother's stressing me out, I take half of my vice-captain's work away from him. It's the best way I can vent, at least without sparring some of the guys in the Eleventh."

She let out a nervous chuckle at that, and Hitsugaya rose a brow. He found it more surprising that she didn't do that more often. Related or not, she was still the fifth seat's little sister, and they were a lot alike. Haruchi then turned back to him. "Despite that though," she said, kneeling down a bit to meet him at eye level again, "when was the last time you ate a full meal or slept through the night? You shouldn't be denying help when it's clearly something you need."

Hitsugaya stared at her for a moment, actually thinking about what to say in response to that question. "I..." he started saying, trailing off as he got back to thinking. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how much he lost track of his days. "I think... that's a good question," he said, scratching his head and looking away from her again. "I think I'll rest in my personal quarters at the barracks once we're done out here."

The sentence brought a cheerful look back to Haruchi's face, a certain shine coming back to her eyes. Seeing her teal pools like this made the albino feel a little less embarrassed. Over the last few months, he found that he was put in a good mood whenever he saw her like this. Her eyes especially, they just made everything feel... warmer. Like the area around Haruchi brought life to something stagnant. It was a sharp contrast from her hair color, which made her look strong and different - which she was. But her eyes revealed a more kind woman than most people would probably first assume.

It was at this time that Toshiro's stomach growled with a vengeance, the sound echoing in the area and causing the captain's face to turn pink. Haruchi had to fight back giggles, repeating the same phrase in her head. _It's not appropriate to laugh at your superiors. It's not appropriate to laugh at your superiors. It's not-_ "How about we go get some food, Captain?" She managed to get out without even a snicker coming through. "It's my treat."

Hitsugaya didn't say anything as he was too busy admiring the ground, waiting for heat in his face to go away. He just nodded, letting Haruchi grab his hand as they walked forward. The wind rustled the leaves in the trees, the sound of birds chirping and woodland rodents scampering across the ground. It wasn't as hot as the last few days were this summer, nor as humid. It was also still morning, so the summer heat couldn't come and ruin the air that felt more like spring.

After another ten minutes of walking, the pair walked up a hill where a small restaurant was. If it were located in the city, it would be a hole in the wall, but as it was, it had outdoor seating and the smell of the place made up for its size. The amount of combinations made the captain stop from dizziness, reinforcing how little food there was in his stomach.

They got to the top, but Hitsugaya stopped, noticing a sign on the door that said: "lunch at noon" which was over an hour away. "I'm sorry, Ayasegawa. It looks like you wasted your time bringing me here," the captain said, feeling a waft of shame.

"Ayasegawa?!" Two female voices rang, getting the captain's not-as-spiky hair to straighten up. Two women came outside just then, both them a bit intimidating. The first was very tall and very overweight, with short blond curls and bright green eyes. The other one was a good seven centimeters taller than Haruchi, with blond hair in a ponytail, golden eyes, and she was carrying a rather large ladle. Both of them wore short, pink kimonos, sandals, and green aprons.

"Well, looky here," said the skinnier one, smirking, "Ayasegawa Haruchi back here in twice in one month for brunch."

The larger one giggled happily. "And she brought a date over, that's adorable!" Both of their face turned red as the large woman thought of the idea, hands on her cheeks and hips swinging.

Haruchi cleared her throat. "Captain Hitsugaya, this one of my old friends, Reiya Kina and her aunt Shiori." The captain then looked at them. "Kina used to live in the same district as me until her parents died. After that, she moved in with her aunt to learn about the business."

Kina's smirk grew. "'Captain Hitsugaya?' You brought the boss out on a date, Haru? What is this, an early birthday gift?" The two flushed darker at Kina's obvious tease as her aunt just laughed about it more.

Then Haruchi shook her head. "No, actually. The captain hasn't had a chance to eat today, so I thought I'd treat him to brunch out here."

In a flash, Shiori was in front of the young captain, leaning in a bit too close for comfort. It made the captain lean back a bit, trying to create some distance without looking disrespectful. "Sweet Kami, young one, you're so pale. Are you alright? Are you sick at all?" She said, leaning in closer.

A small part of him felt relieved she didn't say "boy" or "child," but the lack of space really didn't make him care, he just wanted her away from his face. So, forcing the best smile he could, Hitsugaya said: "No, I'm not sick, Reiya-san. I'm just hungry."

"It's Shiori, sweetheart," she said, standing straight. "Kina, let's get to cooking!"

Kina chuckled a bit before looking at them. "Alright. What'll it be, Haru?"

The ebony smiled. "Fruit of the day with iced tea. Tuna rice with the honey glaze, and beef stew. Same for the captain."

The girl nodded as her aunt hopped inside. "Alright. Take a seat. It's gonna take a few extra minutes to get it all ready," Kina said, walking inside with her aunt.

"Fine by me," Haruchi said, leading the captain to one of the tables just off the path, but not too close to the trees. They sat down, taking in the sounds and the smells of the area. "I love it out here," Haruchi said with a heartfelt sigh.

The captain hummed in agreement, raising his head back as he relaxed in his chair. He could see why Haruchi came out here at this time of the day. The restaurant wasn't busy, making it the perfect spot to come out and eat in peace at. Knowing the owners helped, and it probably put her in a good mood to see one of her childhood friends and talk about more casual things. If the food was as good as she made it out to be, he may have to consider coming back out here.

He looked back at the sixth seat, who was still admiring the area. She was such an anomaly. He looked at her transcripts and grades from the Academy one day and saw someone who - on paper - was very average in relation to skill, intellect, and work ethic. In regard to work ethic though, she was proving to be quite the proactive worker, taking every opportunity to keep working, even when she didn't have to. And if this class of hers held even half the promise he saw in it, then her skill and intellect were clearly higher than what people would expect if they only saw her grades.

Thinking about the transcripts made Hitsugaya lift his head a bit, a different thought occurring to him. He wanted to bring it up with Haruchi before, but he forgot somewhere between helping her get the equipment she needed for the class and handling all the paperwork in the office. _May as well ask while I have the time,_ he thought. "Ayasegawa," he called, waiting for the ebony to turn her head towards him.

"Yes, Captain?" She asked in a more casual manner.

"May I ask you a personal question?" The girl blinked a few times, surprised teal staring at nervous turquoise. It wasn't a question she expected, but then again, she didn't know what to even expect. So she nodded, folding her arms on the table. The albino chose his words carefully as Haruchi waited patiently for him to speak. He wasn't sure if the question would bother her at all. The last thing he wanted to do was make her upset again, especially after what happened down the road.

Kina came out while the silence brewed out. She served them their iced tea and peeled oranges. Then she put a small, lit candle on the table, causing the pair to blush again, Haruchi more so when she saw Kina winking at her. _He's a boss, Kina,_ she thought. _Even if we did like each other like that, there's no way it would be allowed. I can't even imagine how against conduct it actually is._

Hitsugaya cleared his throat after a few stiff moments and thanked the blonde. He took a slice of orange and ate it, his eyes closed. The sight of his face looking so solemn got Haruchi to calm somewhat. By the time he opened his eyes, she was reaching for her drink and he followed suit. They raised their glasses to each other, exchanging awkward smiles before taking a sip. After that, the ebony put her glass down and asked: "What did you wanna ask me, Captain?"

Again, Toshiro felt unsure. But he soon found himself sighing. He had to ask before that Kina girl came back out and make the situation uncomfortable. He looked Haruchi in the eyes, took a deep breath, and collected himself. "I saw some of your transcripts from the Academy the other day and I couldn't help but notice that you were once in the Elite Program," he said. The Elite Program was the most fast paced and advanced program in the Academy, the captain was in it himself as a student and he graduated in five years. However, no one ever left the program unless they were academically withdrawn by the teachers. "I also noticed that you dropped out after three years." The captain let the sentence trail off as he watched the sixth seat's reaction. She was avoiding eye contact, slouching over the table and she was frowning. Toshiro cringed at the sight, recognizing he touched a nerve. "I'm sorry, I-"

"You wanna know why I willingly dropped out when I was doing so well in it," she said, closing her eyes. "You also wanna know how I went from doing well in the program to graduating average once I was in the same courses as the regular students." Hitsugaya's eyes softened when he she said that. Haruchi's voice wasn't cheerful anymore. She wasn't too gloomy and depressed, she was more serious about it than anything. But there was pain in her words, and it made the captain uneasy.

The ebony turned back to face him, sitting up a bit straighter. She let out a breath and began fidgeting with her glass, the ice clanking every so often. Then she spoke. "Kina is one of two friends I managed to make growing up. Both of them moved away to work and eventually take over their family's businesses. For a long time after that, there really wasn't anyone in the village that I liked. Try as my brother did to find me new friends, I just didn't get along with other kids my age." She stopped fidgeting with her cup and stared down at it, looking at her own reflection. "Some years later, though, someone new moved to the district. He and I became thick as thieves. We were both planning to eventually become Shinigami, so we had plenty to talk about, and anything my brother or Ya-Ya wouldn't do with me, I could do with him."

Toshiro stared at her, feeling his shoulders slack somewhat. "What was his name?" He asked, not really knowing what else to say to her. What little he knew about Ayasegawa at this point, he didn't think it was a good idea for her to stop talking. He somehow got the feeling that it would only make her more upset, although he wasn't completely sure.

A sad smile made its way on her face, her eyes not leaving the sight of her own reflection. "Sachinode Takuya," she said. "He was a natural leader. He knew how to take charge, but he was also compassionate, humble, and responsible. He had quite a temper if you got him too upset, but other than that, he was a good man and a brilliant fighter. Hell, he was the only one who could beat me in a spar." Her smile faltered a bit. It wasn't completely gone, but just barely. "We entered the Academy together ten years ago, and we both made it into the Elite Program. He was a good study partner and a better rival. Man had his eyes set on getting a seated position in the First Division. He got excited just thinking about it."

The smile disappeared then, and the look in her eyes got more bleak. A lump caught in her throat, making Haruchi look away from her glass and close her eyes. The hand that wasn't holding her cup was brought to her throat as she struggled swallow it. She breathed deeply and quickly, her neck tightening a bit as she struggled to find words again.

Toshiro then reached across the table, grabbing her wrist in a gentle grip. He began rubbing her hand with his thumb, getting the girl to look up. The captain didn't smile at her, but he looked at her in sympathy. He didn't say anything either, only this time it wasn't necessary. Haruchi saw his patience and understanding in his eyes, another sad smile making its way on her face. A similar one came to Hitsugaya's. He squeezed her wrist gently then let go, motioning her to drink more before she continued.

He sipped with her. The silence dragged on again, but it wasn't tense like before. This time it was calming, and the two could take in the sound of rustling leaves again. Briefly, they wondered what was taking the food so long, but they let it slide. They didn't think it was a good idea for Kina to come out and see her friend this emotional.

After a few moments and a bit of chewing on their fruit, Hitsugaya decided to break the silence. "What happened to Sachinode?" He asked, his voice soft and a bit quiet.

Haruchi's head lowered again, her eyes squinting shut for a few moments as she took in a deep breath through her nose. She held that breath for a few seconds before letting it out through her mouth. "Captain, you've presented a speech at the South 55 Memorial at the Academy a few years back, right?" She asked him. He was about to tell her "yes," but his eyes widened instead, a gasp escaping him. He was... stricken with so much horror, he couldn't imagine what she was feeling at the moment.

She let out a joyless laugh. "Yeah," she said, looking up at him, "Second major third year project: perform a simulated patrol in a selected district. As students in the Elite Program, a place like South District 55 was supposed to be something we could manage with our level of training. But it was... so much worse. Once the first fire started, so many of the classmates were in a panic, our teacher was killed, and the Shinigami on guard were getting overrun." Haruchi being began to shake, struggling to keep her voice steady and to not start sobbing. She put her head in her hand, letting her elbow rest on the table. "Takuya took charge though. He started giving battle orders and plans for retreat. Last thing he said to me was to clear a path so some of our classmates could carry out some of the wounded and get them to safety. Which I did, and I ran straight back into that hell hole."

Again, the captain grabbed her wrist, but he used his other hand to hold her hand. He knew about the South 55 Massacre, but he had only heard about it in reports from the Seventh Division. The Tenth wasn't assigned to assist in reconstruction or aiding in helping people find their loved ones, nor in identifying the dead. He spoke at the memorial, but he couldn't understand what the students there had gone through that day. Twenty out of the fifty-five students died trying to protect the villagers, and many more were wounded. Some of them couldn't even become Shinigami because of their wounds.

Haruchi shook her head, using her free hand to mop back her hair. "When I found him, I saw him fall from his wounds. I-I... raced in to get him, slicing down everyone in my way. They got me pretty bad because of that, but I didn't care. I just had to get to him before he-" she swallowed something hard, her breath coming in uneven and shaky. "I got to him... And I was gonna carry him away to safety, but... it didn't matter," she said, looking up at the captain. She was still fighting tears, and it looked like they would win in a few moments. "When I got to him, he was my best friend - wounded and dying. But a few seconds after I started picking him up, he...became another corpse in the village."

To say that the Captain felt bad for bringing it up would be an understatement. He was kicking himself all over the place. _And Kuchiki was assigned to give a speech at the memorial at the last Head Officer's meeting, two weeks ago. Shit,_ the captain thought. But he stayed quiet, staying as he was, trying to figure out what else to do or say.

Another sad smile came to her face, and Haruchi grabbed one of the captain's wrists, squeezing it gently. "My brother wanted me to skip the Academy and just become an unseated officer, but I wanted to sign up to learn more about how to be Shinigami," she said, a half-hearted look in her eyes coming through. "I thought that there was more I should know, so I went. But Takuya showed me that I needed to know more about myself. I didn't think much of it when he was alive, because having him around made me feel like, well, me. After he died, though, I was stuck going home with no best friend that I could turn to. I realized just how much I really didn't know about me."

"And when you realized that, you chose to stay longer," Hitsugaya finished for her.

Haruchi nodded at him. "Some of the teachers thought I did it because I thought the regular courses would be easier, so they were a bit more strict. Others didn't like that I could occasionally prove them wrong. If they said such-and-such technique was a finisher that couldn't be countered, I found a way to. If they praised a certain battle strategy, I found multiple ways to counter it. One of them tried to stop me from getting sixth seat. Guess I wasn't the most likeable of students," she said, a real smile working its way into form. Toshiro returned the smile, glad to see she was feeling a little better.

A dog whistle sounded, the two Shinigami tensing in their seats as they heard Kina chuckling to herself. "You know, I was gonna ask the captain how hungry he was, but I don't think I have to, anymore." They immediately let of each other and rested their hands in their laps, not looking at Kina. Again, the woman chuckled, but she came over, setting down two rather large bowls of tuna rice in front of them, and setting regular sized chopsticks beside them. The size made Hitsugaya's eyes widen. He'd have to carry it in his arms if it were much larger.

The blonde chuckled again. "I'll be right back to refill your iced teas. The stew's gonna be a little longer, but that should hold you until then." Kina walked back inside and Toshiro continued staring at hos bowl, eyes wide. He was supposed to have room for soup on top of this?

His train of thought was interrupted when Haruchi tapped him on the shoulder. She was smiling, a coy smile this time. "We better start eating. If we don't Shiori's gonna come out here with more bowls and ask us if we're sick." The captain shuddered at the thought.

The two grabbed their chopsticks. Haruchi took the first bite and ate quietly while Toshiro looked at his bowl. It was really just regular rice with a cooked tuna steak, only the tuna was covered in a yellowish glaze, with specks of orange and green color. It didn't look disgusting, it appeared very appetizing. He was just still uncertain about whether or not he could finish it all.

"I just wanna see how that young one is doing, sweetheart. Poor thing is so pale and so skinny," they heard from inside.

"No, Oba-san. You'll spill their drinks on their food."

The albino then shook his head, grabbing the tuna with his chopsticks and breaking off a piece. He began chewing on it, but then stopped, taking in the flavors of it. The fish was very sweet, but it also had enough spice in it to make it savory and to not overpower the fish. It was hard for the captain to put to words how to describe the flavor, but he wouldn't deny it. This was truly delicious.

The captain took a few more bites as Kina came out to refill their glasses. As she left, he steadily began to eat faster, completely forgetting Haruchi was sitting right in front of him. It got the point where he held the bowl up to his face, he was eating so fast. The sixth seat with him was eating at half his speed, but unlike the albino, Haruchi wasn't unaware of what her coworker was doing.

When Toshiro put his bowl down, it was completely empty. He was breathing a little heavily, but then he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes shot open when he heard Haruchi giggling. It was only then he realized just how fast he ate, making him stare at his bowl. He didn't know what was more shocking. How quickly he ate the meal, the fact he ate all of it, or the fact he still had room in his stomach. "You looked good with that rice on your chin, Taichou." Said captain's cheeks flushed red and he looked away from her, shoulders hunched over and hands in his lap. The ebony giggled again. "Don't feel so embarrassed, Captain Hitsugaya. Most people who come here for the first time eat like that. Either you train yourself to slow down, or you order two meals so you can actually savor Shiori's cooking."

Speaking of, said woman came outside. This signaled Haruchi to finish her rice, knowing full well she was carrying her pot of stew. "Hello, young one," she said to the captain as she approached the table. "How was it? Is your stomach feeling any better?"

Toshiro nodded. "Yes. It was delicious, thank you."

Shiori's smile grew and Haruchi put down her bowl. "My compliments to the chef," she said smiling. The ebony handed her chopsticks to the woman, and after getting a nod from her, Captain Hitsugaya did the same. Shiori then filled their bowls with the beef stew and handed them spoons. "Rest of the bowls in the steam washer?" Haruchi asked.

"You know it," the large woman said. "Gotta have them ready by the lunch rush. You know how rowdy those merchants get." Haruchi let out a groan and Shiori reverted her attention back to Hitsugaya. "If you want anything else, just say the word, okay dear?"

The albino repressed the urge to glare at Shiori and forced a smile to his face. "Yes, um...thank you." Shiori left them and they continued eating in silence. The ebony was right, Hitsugaya was actually able to slow his roll with the food. The fact it was a stew helped. Anything else and he might have wolfed that down too.

It remained silent for almost fifteen minutes. The serene atmosphere and the food now filling the captain's stomach was starting to make him feel tired, and he had to stifle more than a few yawns. Haruchi on the other hand was lost in her own thoughts, some of them about Takuya, some expressing further relief that the captain was eating, but more of them were focused on his actions. She didn't expect him to hold her hand or look at her with so much sympathy. She half expected him to apologize about it and express pity towards her. But she never got that feeling from him.

They finished their meals and brought their bowls, spoons and glasses to the door so Kina didn't have to step outside again. Haruchi was about to pay them, but Shiori stopped her. "It's on the house today, Haru-chan," she said before turning to the albino. "You're free to come back around this time, if ya like. Haru-chan's friends are always welcome to a mid-morning brunch."

The captain blinked, casting a glance at Haruchi before looking back at Shiori. "Arigatou, Shiori-san," he said bowing.

She only giggled. "Anytime, young one."

The two Shinigami left, hands in their pockets. Silence fell for the first few minutes, but once Hitsugaya thought they were at a safe enough distance away, he asked: "Did you use that same rope to drag Matsumoto back to the office?"

Haruchi smirked a bit. "For the first three and a half months, yeah. After that, just finding her would make her go back. I didn't even have to carry her anymore." That got a chuckle out of the captain, and the ebony joined him. "Hearing her squeak in fright is also the funniest shit ever," she said, soon covering her mouth at realizing her language.

Hitsugaya chuckled at seeing her face. "Don't worry about it. I'm not as uptight as Yamamoto about that sort of thing." At first, Haruchi tried to stop herself from laughing. But then the captain started doing it and she couldn't help it. She didn't think one of - if not - the hardest working captain in the Gotai 13 had this more casual side to him. At least, not with his subordinates. Seeing the albino smile was something odd, too. From what she heard about the captain, it wasn't an expression he made very often. To anyone.

The captain then stopped, his standard-serious expression returning as he closed his eyes. Haruchi looked back at him, about to ask if he was alright. "Ayasegawa," he said first. "If you didn't want to talk about Sachinode and the Elite Program, you didn't have to. I...I know that was a heavy subject for you," he said, still a bit upset with himself about it.

The ebony stared at him for a moment before shaking her head. She put a hand on Toshiro's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "Don't feel bad about it, Captain." Toshiro's eyes opened and he looked at her. Haruchi was smiling again. It wasn't her warm smile, but it wasn't a sad smile either. "You didn't know about that piece of history. Besides, it...felt good to say it to you. Especially how I found Takuya," she said, earning her the captain's confusion. "I never had the ability to tell anyone that part, before. Not even Yumi-nii. Even if I tried, I could never bring myself to say it."

Shock came to his face. He's seen her and Yumichika together many times by now, they were obviously very close. What was it that made it easier to say to him and not to her own brother? "I don't know how to explain it," she began saying, "but telling you made me feel a little more safe somehow." For what felt like the thousandth time that day, Hitsugaya felt his cheeks tint pink. "Let's head back before the merchants start piling through here," she said, not noticing the captain's face as she turned.

He followed, walking beside her and vaguely listening to her talk about something that happened the previous morning. _You are strange, Ayasegawa,_ he thought, fighting another smile. _So far, I don't think that's a bad thing, though._

* * *

 ** _Sweet fuck, this one was even longer than the fight scene. I really wanted to put down a real interaction between Toshiro and Haruchi, so sorry if it was a bit long for you guys. Let me know how the characters are coming out, also. I'm trying to keep everyone in character, so it's really important. Also, tell me how Haruchi is coming out. Is she staying consistent? I don't want her to turn into a cliché, or to change too suddenly. Her development is very important to me._**

 ** _~ K. Fang-sama_**


	9. Chapter 9

**_Lots of writing going on. I'm so happy I'm back. :)_**

* * *

Blood of Spring: Special Girl

 **Chapter Nine**

Kina and Shiori watched as the pair walked away, doing their work in silence. Kina did the dishes from brunch quick and Shiori was cutting more vegetables for the other soups she was working on. They stopped and looked up as the Shinigami left, neither one smiling as they were before. Once the two were out of sight, they got back to work again.

The atmosphere of the room started feeling heavier, which for once, wasn't because of the steam washer they used for washing plates and silverware. It was unusual, even during the setup process, they were quite the talkative women. However, nothing about today was normal for them. "Kina," Shiori said about fifteen minutes after their guests left, "did you know about any of that?"

Kina sighed, placing the beef stew pot back in the sudsy water, closing her eyes. She looked out the window, the one with a view of Haruchi's usual table. "She told me that her class was attacked while doing a simulation project," Kina eventually told her aunt, "but she never said anything about South 55. Never even mentioned how she found Takuya." The niece grabbed a spoon and dunked it into the water, beginning to scrub it roughly.

Shiori couldn't see the girl's face, but even then, she could already picture how upset Kina was. That deep frown and her dimmed eyes, tears forming and falling without a care in the world. _You could have told me, Haru,_ she thought. _I wouldn't have thought any less of you. You don't have to be the strong girl. Why would you keep this from me?_

A few quiet sobs escaped Kina's lips, but none that she would notice nor willingly acknowledge. Shiori thought of how to approach her sweet niece. Haruchi was always like the protective big sister, she was always there for her loved ones. The girl had always been a good listener, but she still managed to talk to her friends about things. "Well, then," Shiori eventually said, getting back to her vegetables, "I don't know what exactly made her clam up about it, dear. Seven years or not, a wound like that is difficult to heal." The sentence made Kina stop and glare at her hands. "But the fact she felt comfortable telling someone is a good thing. In time, I think she'll open up more about it."

The aunt stared at her niece's back a while longer, and said niece tightened her grip on the spoon. Just as things were getting too tense, though, Kina sighed and relaxed her shoulders. "Yeah, you're right," she said, still a bit upset. It became quiet for a few moments again, but Kina's signature smirk came back to form. "That captain seems to be good for her," she said, looking back at her aunt. "You think she'll try to get him?"

Shiori laughed outright. "I hope so. He seems very polite. Unlike the last boy she met."

Kina let out a groan, her head lifting as she smiled. "Oh Kami, that guy was less a man than Hitsugaya is. And he was three times his size." The ebony usually brought dates to the restaurant for lunch, to see if her friend liked him. It was usually one of the dates before she brought him to the house to meet Yumichika and her extended family. If he couldn't handle her friends, he'd never be able to handle her family.

Her aunt laughed again. "Haruchi beat his ass for his manners. I'd never seen her dump a boy so quickly." She got a snort from Kina. "Well, come on Kina! I need some meat tenderized and seasoned." Kina nodded, heading back to the dishes, thinking of surprise dishes for that could make an evening worthwhile.

* * *

For the first time in weeks, an afternoon in the Sixth Division was rather quiet. Very few people were moving, save for those who came in to see the captain regarding patrols. Previous units from different districts reported suspicious activity, but nothing concrete enough to start a full-blown investigation. If the activity was reported further back, Byakuya wouldn't have been that concerned about it. Unfortunately, it was all occurring in places like East District 22 and North District 14. That was more than enough cause for concern.

Said captain was at his desk, filling out the second load of paperwork some of the other sixth seats dropped off for him. The stacks made him scowl. How much longer was Renji going to stay on assignment in the World of the Living? The assignment was sudden and deemed urgent, but the head of the Kuchiki family had yet to learn why, or see a report from his vice-captain. It was more than a bit odd.

He wasn't concerned about the red-head. No, Renji was more than capable of handling himself, it was just the additional work that he had to put up with. The nobleman liked being able to go home by mid-evening, at the latest. Having Renji's responsibilities added to his own made returning to the estate pure luck if he wanted to get home at that time of night...

Then there was there was the sixth seat of the Ninth Division.

The captain sighed, putting his brush down before rubbing his forehead. He hated that woman, but he was the only one who could let her in the office now. If no one's inside to let her in, she would kneel at the opposite side of the hall, out of everyone's way, and wait patiently for him to return to the office. She was a quiet woman, maybe a little stealthy, so Byakuya was never aware when these mornings occur. Not until she greets him from behind anyways, bowing before the noble could turn his head at her.

His eyes narrowed. To be fair, she was never disrespectful towards him, save for the morning after the captain called her a brat. Despite that though, all she ever did was say: "good morning" or "good afternoon," put the paperwork on his desk, tell him: "have a good day" or "enjoy your evening," bow and leave the office. As far as work standards went, she was perfectly fine. By all technicality, he shouldn't have a problem with her.

However, the fact she was the sixth seat just... baffled him. He saw that she was in the Elite Program her first three years, and there, she did have potential. Ayasegawa was one of the best students there - she even topped the class her second year. But she dropped out of it and joined the regular students, which led to a decline in her grades and graduating as a barely-above-average recruit. The captain may have been less harsh if she was granted the fifteenth seat, but the sixth? "Damn brat. First she thinks the regular program is simpler, then she uses her family to ensure her seated position," he said, reaching for his empty cup so he could prepare more tea.

" _Oh._ So, that's the rumor you heard." Byakuya's eyes widened and his head snapped to his left. The entrance to his office was open, and standing at the other end of the hall, out of the way, was the sixth seat he had been talking about, a bored expression on her face. "Although, that's the nicest of them. Other ones say that my brother had my grades changed to make it look like I passed. Some of them go as far to say I seduced my vice-captain into it," she said, shrugging. Haruchi then approached the door, but she didn't step into the office. She then bowed to him. "My apologies, Captain Kuchiki. The door was open when I got here. I would have mentioned it, but I thought it best not to interrupt you while you spoke."

The red-streaked-ebony stayed in the bowed position, waiting for the captain to say something. Again, the captain wondered why she was acting so properly. It was expected of her to be this way, yes, but he couldn't help but feel surprised. There was no trace of anger around her, no tinge of annoyance. It was as if all she heard was someone talking about the weather.

He soon sighed, closing his grey eyes. "Come in, Ayasegawa," he said. The captain waited for her to lift her body and walk inside.

Once she did, he eyed her as she approached his desk and set down the afternoon's paperwork. She undid the bundle, separating Renji's stack from his before sighing. "I don't blame you for thinking that about me," she said suddenly, making the captain raise a brow. "Those rumors began immediately after I was given my position. It used to piss me off that people thought so low of me, even in my own division. It doesn't matter how many times I or Hisagi-fukutaichou told people that I earned my seat. The rumors have gotten so common, I can't go on a walk without hearing someone whisper about it."

Captain Kuchiki spoke then, slightly intrigued by the girl's sudden talkative mood. "You are their superiors. Certainly you've done something about that, haven't you?"

"Oh yeah," Haruchi said, messaging the shoulder holding the strap of her bag, an exasperated look on her face. "In my first four months, I wrote up almost eighty of the men in my division. Gave them menial probationary work as punishment. If they weren't licking envelopes, then they were stuck counting cards that were being shipped out to the Rukongai." The girl was smiling at the memory, and she was turned away enough that Byakuya allowed himself a smirk. If there was more menial work in the Ninth Division, then he didn't know what it was.

The teal-eyed girl sighed after a few minutes, a hand on her shoulder, a frown on her face, and her eyes staring at the folders she just put on the captain's desk. "After that, though, I decided to reserve it for people who say it to my face. I'm not gonna be able to convince them of my true abilities until I can train with my superiors and I get into the Immediate Action Detail. And I'll only obtain the latter once I effectively lead a patrol," she said to him, not complaining as she spoke, but seeming more resigned to the facts.

Byakuya put a hand to his chin, closing his eyes and thinking over her words. Yes, new recruits weren't allowed to verse their superiors in training exercises until eight months after they joined the division. It was deemed a rule after too many fools died trying to take the captain's position on their first day. From the sounds of things, the captain didn't think Haruchi wanted to try her luck in that regard, rather show that she can hold her own - if only for a short while.

The Immediate Action Detail was unique to the Ninth Division. Every division had men on guard and ready to protect Seireitei. The Ninth Division was the Gotai 13's security force, though. They had to be ready to take action at any given moment, they were always on standby for an attack. The Immediate Action Detail was a specific unit of the security force, made up of men willing to rush into battle at news of a threat. You had to be strong and clever to even be considered for the detail, though. That took most new recruits at least seven months to do.

Which would explain Haruchi's need for leading a patrol. It was the only thing she could do in order to present a clever side of herself. However, new recruits weren't even assigned to patrols until six months in as Shinigami, and Haruchi was only on her fifth. As sixth seat, she would eventually lead a patrol, the captain didn't doubt that. She would have to be supervised by a superior from the detail if she wanted a chance to become part of it.

"I see what you mean," he said. The captain opened his eyes then, looking at the sixth seat as she lifted her head. "If you don't mind my asking, why did Hisagi scout you for the position?"

Haruchi shrugged at him, a passive look coming to her face. "To be honest, I'm not completely sure. He said he saw more potential in me than other recruits considering our division. The only reason I didn't doubt him when he said it was because he scouted the academy for three months rather than a standard week. It was only at the end of them that he gave me the offer."

Byakuya reserved his reaction, narrowing his eyes slightly when one would normally widen them. He was searching for any indication of a lie but saw nothing that even hinted at it. _That's an odd amount of time to be scouting a new recruit. Even a great one,_ the captain thought. "So then," he said, "your brother had nothing to do with it. He ensured nothing for you as Shinigami."

A snort came from Haruchi, a sad smirk forming. "Actually," she said, staring right into his slate eyes, "that's the only part of the rumor that's true." This time Byakuya's eyes did widen, if only a fraction. "Hisagi-fukutaichou gave me an official offer to be his sixth seat, but if Yumi-nii didn't step in, I never would have gotten it," she said, letting out a sigh. She shook her head then, forcing a smile back on her face. "My apologies, Taichou, I've kept you distracted by my rambling. Please, enjoy the rest of your evening."

Before the nobleman could say anything, she bowed to him and left, sliding the door behind her. He stared at his office door for a second, wondering what the girl had meant. She basically just confirmed the basic premise of most of the rumors - her fifth seat of a brother made sure she became a seated officer. The fact was more than displeasing to the girl. Yet, Hisagi had scouted her and gave her the official offer, and she clearly cared about being the sixth seat. Why did Yumichika come into the equation?

A Hell Butterfly came in just then, getting the captain's brows to raise for a brief moment. He then recomposed himself, holding out a hand and listening to the message being transmitted. "Vice-Captains Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji shall return tomorrow morning. All division head officials will report to the meeting hall for an emergency meeting at 0800 to discuss the events transpiring in the World of the Living."

* * *

Ikkaku groaned to himself as he walked outside, the summer night air surprisingly cool for one. _Today wasn't completely bad,_ he kept telling himself. He got Yumichika to perk up and fix up his looks, and they got tracked down everywhere the fifth seat had been in during May and April. That got rid of the first month prior to the attack in District 39. There were no leads to be found, but they were now starting to get through the records faster than before. The two of them also had the day off tomorrow, so that was something to look forward to.

The reason the third seat was upset was because he was on his way to the Twelfth Division. Akon was finally able to look into the blue bracelet devices, those anchisukiru that the assailants were wearing. Kurotsuchi didn't label it as a high priority, so it took the third seat a little longer to get to it. By all technicality, this was a good thing, and it would tell them something about the enemy. Something concrete.

This was not the reason Ikkaku was upset, though. To start, he just hated going to the Twelfth Division. He didn't need to understand the chemical structure of a poison or how a device was programmed, he needed to know what they could do and how to combat it. This was normally a drag with most other officers, but Akon got to the point with people outside the division, so that wasn't too bad.

On top of that, not only did the third seat hate the Twelfth's captain, but he also hated him for prioritizing the devices he and Yumichika brought back so low. There was no rush put into researching the thing that allowed regular bandits to take on actual Shinigami, and put up a hell of a fight. Ikkaku didn't understand how that wasn't alarming or at least curious to Kurotsuchi, and to be fair, neither did his third seat. Akon was very reasonable when he learned the specifics of the event. As a result, he tried to get to the anchisukiru as often as he could between projects.

And now the research was done. Once you get through this, you're off the clock, he thought. Yumichika would have gone with him, but the third seat made him go home. The fifth seat rarely got home in time to eat dinner with his little sister. The ebony learned his sister was gonna be done by six, which made him wanna leave and prepare dinner for her. Things were gonna get busier for Haruchi soon, so it made sense that her brother wanted to spend more quality time with her. So, Ikkaku kicked his partner out of the office at five, ordering him to go have dinner with his sister.

The third seat sighed as he entered the research and development department. He had to keep thinking about how happy Yumichika was that he was dismissed from helping more that evening. Just being in the building made him feel like, for lack of a better phrase, a specimen in a petri dish. The glare of the white walls didn't help settle that feeling any. Thankfully there weren't many people there, and Akon was waiting for him at the front desk. "Thank you for coming over, Madarame-san. I know how long you've been waiting for the results," the man said calmly.

Ikkaku just nodded at him, letting the horned man lead him down the halls to his office. The room was bland and lacked much personality. Then again, Ikkaku would be surprised if it had any. Kurotsuchi never really cared about how his subordinates felt. It wouldn't shock the man if the Twelfth Division's captain forbid personalization of any kind. "Please, take a seat," Akon said, sitting down at his own desk. In a clear, plastic box, was the anchisukiru Ikkaku broke off the one guy's wrist.

Once they were sitting across from each other, Akon offered his equal tea that he brewed with some beakers and a Bunsen burner. Ikkaku declined and the horned man sipped on his own. After a few moments of silence, Ikkaku spoke. "So, what can you tell me about this thing?"

Akon put his cup down, letting out a breath before looking back at Ikkaku. "Plenty, but I think you'd prefer I skip most of the structural details and get to the main points." Ikkaku motioned him to continue. Akon sighed. "As you witnessed, this "anchisukiru" gives its wearer the ability to completely conceal their reiatsu, increase their strength, speed and agility, as well as concentrate and strengthen their reiatsu into blasts similar to Hado spells."

"Nothing new," Ikkaku said bluntly while Akon took another sip.

"Indeed," Akon said. "As you also know, these abilities can be increased further by turning the button that activates the device. This begins to get unstable after they reach past the levels of an average sixth or fifth seat, though."

Ikkaku hummed to himself, placing his hands on his lap. "The old guy that got in Yumichika's way said he'd have to fix that. Which means this is gonna change at some point." Again, the horned man nodded. "Did you get anything else from it? Anything we can use as a lead?"

Akon smiled a bit. "Not to worry, these devices revealed a bit to me. However, the facts are contradictory and alarming." Ikkaku narrowed his eyes at him. "The device itself is advanced. The person who made it clearly has a knowledge of engineering and access to high grade equipment. Many of the mechanisms were unique, so this person is building them on their own, with very little guidance," he said.

His guest raised a brow. "How do you know that?"

"Because each bracelet isn't an exact copy. The engineer has enough knowledge of what goes where, but not enough to create all of them identically. However, that's where the 'very little guidance' comes into play," he said. "Though there are several unique mechanisms in the device, there are several patented ones." By Ikkaku's face, Akon got the sense he lost him. "The system to hide the enemy's reiatsu, for example, is on record. The Twelfth Division has many devices with that purpose, and most all of them are programmed the same way this device is."

The man's eyes widened. "Wait," Ikkaku said, raising a hand, "you're telling me that whoever did this, not only has the equipment, but also knowledge about our tech?"

Akon nodded. "Unfortunately, yes," he said. "But that is not all I have for you." Ikkaku put his hand on his chair, leaning in a bit. "I can't tell you where they've been, but I can tell you that all of the assailants you and Ayasegawa-san killed all came from North District 79. I doubt that anyone will tell you who they were, but I bet you can find out their criminal affiliations. Whoever is behind this must have some knowledge of Shinigami procedures when a district is under attack."

"You think these guys' group is on file somewhere." Akon nodded at him. Ikkaku smirked. "You think you can-"

"I'm already going through crimes that occurred in the district," he told him. "However, it will take some time. With the high crime rate of the area, not to mention we don't know when these guys first came up." Ikkaku groaned. Well, that sucked. Back to square one with Yumichika. "If the creator of these bracelets has access to our technology, though, they should be on file. They'd have to go through the same channels we do to get the data and the equipment, possibly. If you'd like, I could check the records for the last year," Akon said.

Ikkaku then sighed, preparing to stand up. "If you're gonna do that, best make it eighteen months." Akon nodded, standing with the third seat and walking out. "Once you got a good suspect list, send it over to my office. I need to cross check it with some of the records we've been pulling," he said as they made their way to the exit. Akon agreed and Ikkaku left.

 _Well, this fucking sucks,_ he thought. _If this gets more complicated, it better give me a good fight._ And with that, he returned to his barrack.

* * *

 ** _I'm discovering that Adam Lambert singles are the key to getting these chapters done quickly. I hear one and I'm golden. Anyways, thanks for reading!_**

 ** _~ K. Fang-sama_**

 ** _Translations:_**

 _Anchisukiru: (_ _警備員_ _) Security Guard_


	10. Chapter 10

**_I got a little pumped for this. It was starting to get a bit discouraging with this project, but then a review came in and boosted my spirits. So, here's the update. :)_**

* * *

Blood of Spring: Special Girl

 **Chapter Ten**

A meeting was being held at the Urahara Shouten. None of the humans who arrived knew what it was for, but at the very least, they were expecting was progress. The gathering started off calm and somewhat quiet. Then the shop quaked from the noise level. "WHAT DO YA MEAN YA HAVE TO GO BACK?!"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK WE MEAN, BAKA!" The two yelling were Ichigo and Rukia. Both of them were kneeling, their upper bodies leaning over the table. They were glaring at each other while their hands were planted on the table beneath them. Their posture indicated the possibility of violence, a feeling that only grew as they growled at each other. This brought amusement to Urahara and Yoruichi, concern to Orihime and Chad, and annoyance to Renji and Uryu.

The red-headed vice-captain sighed. "We have to go to a meeting in Seireitei, and we're gonna carry out new orders. It's only gonna take us twenty-four hours. We'll be right back," Renji said with indifference.

Ichigo turned his glare to him. "THAT DOESN'T MATTER! Toshiro left last time and these guys killed seven people. Who's to say they won't kill more when you leave, tomorrow?"

Uryu adjusted his glasses. "I understand that you two have your orders, but I have to agree with Kurosaki on this. They're more likely to cause a ruckus with you gone," he said.

"And if they do, we'll be ready for them." Everyone turned to Urahara, his standard smirk on his face. The man looked up at them, the shadow of his hat leaving a dark veil over his upped face, save for his eyes. "There hasn't been anything going on here as of late. You can't blame their superiors for requesting them back, especially if there's something going on in Seireitei that's more urgent. The best we can do is stay here and get ready for when they show their faces again."

The humans looked away, worry clouding their eyes. Renji had to hold back a smirk. He had to tell Urahara, the man would know if they were lying to the group. Besides, they needed him to develop another way of tracking the trespassers, since they still didn't have anything that could give them a fix. The scraps they found were too old for the Twelfth Division to work with. Even if that weren't the case, these guys were doing something to wash away their very presence.

"We got our Soul Phones if anything comes up," Renji said as the carrot-top started to simmer down. "Say the word and we'll rush back through the Senkaimon. If we're lucky, they're may be more of a development on their side."

Ichigo sighed, groaning to himself as he sat back down, legs crossed and hands on his knees. _Just great,_ he thought as Rukia returned to sitting. _More dead kids. That's just what we need._

"We'll be back," Rukia said with a smile, winking at him. "And we'll get 'em, don't worry." The gesture seemed somewhat comforting to the others, but Ichigo's optimism remained at its current low. Regardless, he only nodded at them before standing up to leave.

* * *

Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro should just go home.

Well, that was what he was telling himself, anyways. Abarai and Kuchiki had requested a twenty-four hour return and an emergency meeting. They had a plan to catch the rukongai souls that _somehow_ managed to make a Senkaimon and come to Karakura. The meeting was early the next morning and it was now after six in the evening. The summer sun was beginning to dip in the sky, and with it, the dreaded heat it brought that day. Honestly, Hitsugaya should have gone home to make dinner and go to bed early, but the ice-captain wasn't quite ready to leave. He just stood there, staring at a slab stone, trying to understand the pain he saw from Haruchi.

He was at the Sector 55 Memorial, a good few miles outside the Academy. It was a small memorial, with two rows of marked graves, equaling the full twenty that died. In front of the graveyard was a black marble plaque, with stairs that you had to walk up just so you could read what was on it. The message on it was grim, and left the albino with a sense of dread he hadn't felt the first time he came here.

 **"July 11th. Here lies the students who died in a massive slaughter while on a simulated patrol in South District 55. These students who gave their lives trying to save as many villagers as they could. May you find peace in reincarnation. We shall never forget your brave actions that night."**

 _Kami, did they read this at their funeral?_ The captain couldn't help but wonder as he approached the slab. Underneath the message, all the names of those who died were listed. Hitsugaya couldn't help but trace his fingers over a few of them. Hitsugaya had seen his loved ones almost die, and he did lose comrades. But he never had the experience of feeling someone he cared for just die. Not even in the war against Aizen had he experienced that.

His fingers continued to trace the characters until they traced one specific name. He stared at it, his eyes soft and his mouth curved in a healthy frown. He remembered the set of transcripts he had pulled after Haruchi came with the afternoon paperwork. He saw a charismatic fighter that strived to be the best in his class, and to be the strongest warrior he could be. A man with strong morals, and a kind soul made for better. "She was right, Sachinode.," he said aloud. "You were made for the First Division."

Toshiro removed his hand and lowered his head, staring at his feet as the wind blew. His haori rose, flapping towards his right as some clouds passed the sun, their shadows veiling the captain in lighting more on par with his mood. After a few minutes, the darkness was gone and the late-day-sun illuminated the memorial, light at just the right angle to reflect off the ground and into the albino's eyes. He closed them, rubbing the one that got hit with the dreaded sun.

After a bit of that, his eyes still closed, Toshiro began debating whether or not praying was an appropriate thing to do. The captain knew none of them while they lived. He only knew them as names on a slab to a massacre neither he nor his division had any part in aiding. He began questioning his reason for being there, he was among the last of Shinigami who should mourn the tragedy. **_"Just because you haven't seen the carnage, doesn't mean you won't be affected by it, Toshiro."_**

The captain's eyes opened then, his hand slowly and reflexively grabbing his zanpakuto. "Hyorinmaru," he said softly, waiting for the ice dragon to speak more.

It did so, its bellowing voice a bit softer this time. **_"That new friend of yours lived through this event and suffered. Guilt and dread are natural things to feel after learning such things,"_** he said to the albino.

Hitsugaya raised his head a bit. "Ayasegawa is... not a friend," he said. "I hardly know her."

 ** _"You know her well enough, young one,"_** the ice dragon told him. **_"You speak and spend more time with her in a day than you do with Hinamori in a week."_**

"That's completely different," Toshiro said, scoffing at the dragon and crossing his arms. "I see Ayasegawa more often than Hinamori because of her rank. And most of what we talk about is work."

 ** _"Everything you talk to Hinamori about is work, nowadays,"_** the zanpakuto said. The albino could feel it smirking, baring its fangs. **_"But you managed to get close enough to Ayasegawa that she told you something she hasn't told anyone else. I believe her feelings of security around you are not solely because you're a good captain."_ **

Hitsugaya's eyes returned to looking at the ground. "I don't believe I would qualify as one of her friends after just two months."

 ** _"Well, here's your chance to find out."_**

"Captain Hitsugaya?" A soft voice said. The dragon went away as Toshiro's eyes widened. He briefly berated himself for not keeping his senses sharp before turning his head. What he saw made his heart sink a bit. Sure enough, the sixth seat in question was a few feet behind him, carrying a bouquet of white carnations. Seeing her was no surprise, but the look on her face brought him back to earlier in the morning.

Her entire expression made him think back to the table at the restaurant, while she was shaking and fighting off tears. When she was trying to hold herself together, when she had every right to cry. Aside from not quivering, the only difference was the surprised look in Haruchi's eyes. That surprised look did nothing to mask her depression, though.

The captain turned his body more towards her, his eyes softening. As he did so, the red-streaked-ebony turned away from him, holding the bouquet a little tighter in her arms. "What are you doing here, sir?" She asked, almost too quiet for him to hear her.

Silence fell between the two, the wind blowing again. The sound of the captain's haori moving in the breeze was the only sound that filled the air in the clearing. Not even the wind made a sound as the two stood, trying to settle whether they should move or say something, but neither one acting on any of their ideas. The sixth seat feared offending the captain, and he in turn feared making her more upset by his reply.

 _She's a stronger soul than that,_ the albino told himself after staring at her for a few moments. _She's not made of porcelain,_ he thought, rubbing his throat a bit. He still wasn't sure of himself, but the captain soon moved towards the ebony. She peered at him out of the corner of her eye, but then returned to looking away. The closer he got, the more nervous she became. Asking a question wouldn't get him upset with her, she knew that, but she was used to coming here and finding no one. Not a lot of people came to the memorial anymore, not even on the anniversary of the massacre. Unlike them, though, Haruchi made it a habit to come at least twice a year. Sometimes more.

When Toshiro stopped, he was roughly ten feet away from Haruchi. The hand that was rubbing his throat was resting on his chest, his fingers still loosely holding his neck. His other hand was in his pocket, and he struggled to form a sentence still. He stared at her all the while, guilt and concern fusing in his turquoise pools. "I..." he began saying, trailing off a bit. "I don't know, really," he finished, looking down at the ground for a few moments, his eyes narrowing slightly. When he looked up again, his eyes met Haruchi's. They stared at each other this time, and after another minute, the captain said: "I just... felt a need to come. It felt so strong that I couldn't ignore it."

The pair stared at each other a little longer, each one taking in the tones in the other's eyes. Questions formed in them, but neither seemed to know how to answer the other. Their nonverbal exchange continued for a few minutes. When they were out of questions and giving unsure answers, true silence fell between the pair. It wasn't an uncomfortable one, just the opposite actually. Both felt relieved by the other's presence, but the dread the memorial seemed to pass on visitors kept things feeling gloomy between them.

After another five minutes of silence, Haruchi shook her head a bit. When she looked back at Hitsugaya, her eyes somewhat evasive of his, but she did make a small attempt to smile. "Well then," she found herself saying, almost in a hesitant manner. "If you don't plan on leaving soon, would you like to accompany me?" She asked him, her eyes darting to the side for a few moments.

Hitsugaya was a bit surprised by the request at first. _Then again, if she felt safe telling me what happened, she probably feels something similar with me here,_ he thought. He nodded at Haruchi when she looked back at him. Her smile didn't grow, but he noticed a sense of relief splash into her eyes. She looked down at her bouquet and loosened her hold on them a bit. _What is it about **me** that makes her feel better, though?_ The albino couldn't help but wonder.

Haruchi shuffled her feet a bit, but then she started walking towards the captain. Toshiro looked up when she approached him. Once she was beside him, he turned and offered his hand to hold her free one. This time her smile did grow, and she took his hand without a second thought. She let out a sigh of...happiness when she grabbed it. "Your skin's nice and cold," she said, forgetting she was with a superior.

The captain turned to her, eyes a little wide and a brow perked. "Most people wouldn't put those words in the same sentence. Not unless it's during a heat wave," he said, surprised.

The statement got a giggle out of Haruchi. "I like the cold. Hell, I love winter as much as I love spring - maybe more," she said, a more genuine smile making its way through as they began walking back towards the memorial.

Turquoise eyes stared at her in the purest shock. They calmed a bit before their owner spoke, but that wasn't before another giggle escaped Haruchi's lips. "I wouldn't expect that from you. I'm...sorry if I sound rude, but you seem like you prefer the sun more," he told her. Truth be told, most people the captain interacted with did. Not a lot of people enjoy winter, and those that do would hardly call it their favorite season.

The ebony smirked. "I do," she said. "I like watching the sun in early spring as it melts away the snow. I like seeing the grass and everything come back to life from months of have seeing nothing but fields of snow and ice. I find that a calm winter day isn't something to hate, though. Winter in general is a necessity on many levels, and I don't think a lot of people see it that way." Hitsugaya nodded at her, a small smile tugging at his lips for a few moments.

Both of their smiles fell as they walked closer to the slab. Haruchi kept it out of her sight as best she could. She didn't go as far as lowering her head completely, but she lowered it just enough so the damn thing was outside her peripheral vision. The sixth seat led the captain around the slab, and brought him to Takuya's grave. It was in the back row, third to the right.

Hitsugaya turned to Haruchi just before they stopped walking. The look from earlier returned, only now she did start crying a bit. As she put the bouquet in front of his grave, more tears fell down her face. The ebony quickly wiped her eyes, staring at the grave with bitter resentment. "Do you think something's wrong with me, Captain?" She asked suddenly, earning a shocked expression from the albino. "He's been dead for seven years. I accepted that almost a year after it happened. But here I am, coming back to his grave, just unable to feel whole again without him." A joyless laugh came through. "I'm so pathetic," she said to herself.

The albino stared at her again, eyes wide with concern. After a moment, he recomposed himself. "No, Ayasegawa. Nothing's wrong with you," he said to her. She let out a snort, and by her face, she didn't believe the captain's words. Toshiro squeezed her hand, waiting for her to look at him before speaking again. "Letting go of someone you care about is not a simple thing, though." She looked away from him. "You knew him how long before the massacre?"

She chuckled to herself. "A little over a decade. It felt like longer, though," she said, running a hand through her hair.

The captain sighed at her. "Then I'm not surprised you're struggling to let him go. Especially considering what happened to you," Toshiro said, stern. He felt Haruchi tighten her grip on his as she began breathing a bit more heavily. He paused for a moment, looking at Haruchi's face. She was wiping away more tears, and she had a strained smile on her face. Her eyes were filled with just as much pain as before, but there were waves of contemplation swerving in them.

Hitsugaya put his free hand on her arm, the same arm whose hand he was already holding. Her eyes widened slightly and her smile faltered a bit at his touch. Haruchi then turned to the captain. She seemed unsure of everything, every thought that came through, every sentence she thought of saying. The albino began using his hand to rub her arm and gave her a patient gaze. Like at brunch earlier, there was a sense of concern and understanding in his eyes.

After a few moments, Haruchi's strained smile returned and she looked back at her friend's grave. Her breathing had become a little more even, and she was taking deeper breaths. A light, lifeless chuckle escaped her lips. "You know, growing up with Yumi-nii, I never got to go to a festival. Not that he didn't try to, he was always so busy. When Takuya found out, though, he thought that was insane. So, he brought me to North District 5 for their Tanabata festival," she said suddenly, catching Toshiro off guard. "It's pretty huge over there. We went to a couple other festivals, but that one in particular I enjoyed the most. So, we made it an annual tradition to go to District 5."

She closed her eyes halfway. "I went to the Tanabata festival again, a little over a year after he died. Sure, we always went together, but that shouldn't mean I can't go there and enjoy the liveliest festival, quite possibly in all of Seireitei. I," Haruchi stopped, wiping her eyes roughly and sniffling a bit. "I ate takoyaki and amanattō, I watched the shows, I even wrote a wish on the tanzaku. But... I couldn't hang it on the bamboo leaves. Not after..." Haruchi began sobbing, more tears coming down her face. "Not after realizing how much I wanted him there."

The captain wasn't surprised by the statement. It wasn't an odd thing for someone to do after coming to terms with a loved ones' death. "I tore the tanzaku and threw it away, and I left crying. I... I've wanting to go back there and enjoy the festival again, but Kami, I just can't. I keep thinking of that last time and I make no move to go. I'm so afraid of turning into an emotional wreck, again."

Hitsugaya stared at her as she sobbed more and the captain closed his eyes, wracking his brain for ideas. After wondering what he could say to make her feel better, he settled for nothing. Instead, he moved closer to her, letting their sides touch and letting his head rest on her arm, just where it met her shoulder. The move made Haruchi tense up a bit and she turned to the captain. She was shocked and confused, and for the moment, her pain was pushed back a bit. "Captain, what-?"

"Ayasegawa," he said, looking up at her, now a bit more serious, "With everything that's happened today, everything we've said to and done for each other, do you still look at me as if I were just another one of your superiors," he began, raising a brow at her, "or do you look at me as something else, alongside being a captain?"

The question caught her off guard. She stared at him for a good while, words escaping her. Soon though, she found herself relaxing her muscles, shifting a little closer to him. "I haven't thought about that much, to be honest," Haruchi found herself saying, her voice soft and a little shaky. She managed to stop crying and she raised their still-joined hands, smiling. "But you're right. I wouldn't call this a regular superior-subordinate relationship. By the sounds of things, though, neither would you."

Hitsugaya heard her playful tone at the last sentence, but unlike Kina, he didn't become embarrassed. Not because the sixth seat couldn't pull it off. No, with her brother, that would come to her naturally. He could see a sincere effort to stop talking about Sachinode. Whether it was because she wanted to forget it and move on, or because it was starting to get too painful to talk about, the albino didn't know. "Clearly," he said, his usual serious tone following him. He lifted his head from her arm. "I don't take to people this quickly, Ayasegawa."

Her smile morphed into a smirk. "I figured as much, Captain," she said. "I'm the same way, though. So, I guess we're in the same boat." They exchanged glances, both nodding at what they got from the other. They didn't know what to call their relationship, but for the moment, neither one cared.

Toshiro's calm demeanor returned to his face, but he didn't move away from the girl, nor did he hesitate when he asked: "May I walk you home, Ayasegawa?"

Again, the question caught Haruchi off guard, but she accepted the captain's offer with a warm smile. As the two walked away from the grave, the dreadful air seemed to have gone away, and they were able to leave in a comfortable. After passing the slab, though, Haruchi's sudden cheer began to fade away. She glanced back at the horrid thing, forcing herself to swallow her resentment and her tears.

* * *

Yumichika was somewhat relieved his sister was taking her time getting back. He only got home a half hour before her shift was over, and he had to do the fish over again. He was making a gorgeous feast, because it could be nothing less. It had been a while since he and his sister dined like royalty, but tonight, he felt like she kind of deserved it. The siblings were only getting busier, and with the investigation going on, Yumichika wasn't going to get the chance to do it again. Not anytime soon.

There were multiple options for dinner, assorted seafood that were either simmered, fried or baked, with sweet, savory and tangy sauces abundant. There were crisp cooked vegetables, not to mention enough rice and soba noodles to feed a house of ten. He had made berry smoothies for cold drinks and even took out their special sake for the evening. The sake would provide a strong and somewhat sweet aspect to the meal while the smoothies' tanginess would complement the food nicely. On top of that, he made their favorite dark chocolate cake. It was frosted white, with white frosting between each layer. He used a pipet to accent the cake with red frosting. He had planned for more color actually, but time was of the essence.

He kept the food warm in the oven, the drinks cold in the fridge, put the lid on the cake dish. The set up was all that was left now. His instincts told him his baby sister would be back soon, so he grabbed the foldup trays he had in the closet and opened one on each side of the table. They left little room for walking, but they were the perfect height for the low table, and did enough to expand the space Yumichika had to work with.

He placed a shimmering, copper colored table cloth on the trays and table, creating the illusion that they were one. Yumichika then grabbed two bronze candlesticks and placed a tall, white candle in each of them. Those were set aside so he could work on the plate settings. Black chopsticks were placed in proper holders and set to the right of the seats. Purple plates were set at the center of each spot, followed two bowls placed to the upper left of them. One was a yellow, while the other slightly-larger one was a calming shade of green. He put a clear, glass cup to the upper right of the plates, a few inches away from the chopsticks. He then put down two white, ceramic ochokos by the glasses.

Once this was done, Yumichika put a candle on each side of the table and left for the food. He set down the sake and the smoothie containers in an ice bucket. He set the cake at one of the ends of the table, the rice and noodles on the other. He set the fish and vegetables down in an array, not so random, but in a way that each dish would get its own highlight.

 _Perfect!_ The fifth seat thought as he heard footsteps coming towards the house. _And not a moment too soon._ He poured them both a glass of the smoothie he made, lit the candles, and positioned himself at the door, the door that separated their shoe and coat area at the entrance. He heard footsteps steps approach the door, and once it was opened and closed, he flung the inside door open. "SURPRISE, SPECIAL GIRL!"

He heard two startled yells instead of one, snapping the elder out of his joyous state and back to reality. His sister was home, alright, but she brought a certain albino that Yumichika recognized in an instant, and he had his arm around his sister's waist. He blinked for a few minutes, looking at them almost unable to believe his eyes. "Hitsugaya-taichou, what a surprise," he soon found himself saying, a bit sheepish. _Well, this is awkward._

Said captain had just recomposed himself. The ebony's sudden entrance almost made him draw Hyorinmaru, and hold Haruchi a little tighter than he originally intended to. "I can say the same for you. Ayasegawa told me you wouldn't be home until later this evening," he said, removing his hand from his blade's handle and setting it on his waist.

With any other man, the elder would have assumed he wanted to sleep with Haruchi, then he would proceed to threaten said man with his life if he hurt her in any way. But Yumichika knew better when it came to the albino, so he chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, I was. Ikkaku let me go early so I could surprise Imouto with some dinner. It's been a while since we've bee able to sit down for a meal together," he said.

Hitsugaya nodded at him. "Your investigation in the Rukongai," he stated simply, getting a nod in return. All the captains knew about the Eleventh's investigation, and it had remained their jurisdiction because of the areas attacked, and because of the "lead" their fifth seat stumbled upon two months prior. "Any luck, so far?" He asked, casually.

The elder shook his head, a hand on his hip and serious expression on his face. "Ikkaku might have spoken with someone at the Twelfth tonight, other than that, nothing I can point a finger to," he said.

If Haruchi hadn't pushed past them both, Yumichika would have asked the captain what he was doing here with his sister. An excited gasp from her mouth caught both of their attention, though. "Nii-sama!" She said, hugging him tightly. "You didn't have to make a king's feast for me," she said, looking up at him in what could only be described as the purest look of childish excitement.

The look made the brother smile. "I wanted to-" he was cut off before he could finish his sentence, being pulled back into a tighter hug.

Haruchi released him, kicking off her sandals before approaching the albino. She grabbed one of his hands, giving him a somewhat sadder, but still somewhat excited smile. "Thank you for walking me home, Captain." Hitsugaya couldn't even say anything. The girl just let go of his hand and ran inside, telling her brother that she was gonna go wash up.

Now alone, the males looked at each other, an awkward silence brewing. The elder Ayasegawa broke it before it dragged on for too long. "Captain Hitsugaya, if you don't mind my asking, what were you doing with my sister?" The question wasn't rude, nor did it carry suspicious undertones towards the other. It was puzzled and held a weight of concern to it.

The captain sighed, closing his eyes and quickly choosing his words before looking back at the fifth seat. "We bumped into each other at the South 55 Memorial this evening." Yumichika's concern rose to his face, and it fused with a wide-eyed look of horror. He looked in the direction of the stairs and back at the captain a few times, more than aware how upset his sister got whenever she was even near the damn place. "She told me about her friend Sachinode, and she was struggling to keep her composure while we were there. I thought it best to bring her home and wait for you to return before leaving," Toshiro further explained after a few seconds.

"Oh Kami," Yumichika said in a mutter, putting a hand to his mouth before looking at the captain. "Arigatou, Taichou."

Yumichika expected Toshiro to nod and leave, but he was only half right. The albino nodded, but after that, his eyes changed somewhat. He was still the composed captain everyone knew him to be, but something was bothering him. "Ayasegawa, do you intend on going anywhere, this evening?" The fifth seat's eyes widened somewhat, but they narrowed again and Yumichika shook his head. The motion made the captain sigh out a mixture of grief and relief. "Then, could you keep a close eye on your sister, tonight?"

The fifth seat's eyes widened once more. He hadn't planned on leaving Haruchi alone this evening, especially after learning where she went after work. However, he hadn't thought the icy captain of the Tenth would ask him a question filled with so much concern. ""I know I don't know her, but while we were there, she made several attempts at burying her grief," Toshiro said, grabbing the older brother's attention. "I'm...not sure where her head is after seven years, but I was afraid of where it might be after she left."

The weight of those words sunk into Yumichika's being, causing his protective instincts to kick in. A heavy sigh escaped the fifth seat's lips. "Thank you for walking her home, Captain." He said, feeling a bit relieved. Hitsugaya nodded, bowing to the fifth seat before leaving the house.

* * *

 ** _I'm gonna keep the ball rolling as best I can. If you like what's going on, let me know. It's good motivation to keep going. Also, tell me what you think of Haruchi and the other OCs. As my own creations, I'd love to hear how they're coming out._**

 ** _~ K. Fang-sama_**

 ** _Oh! Explanations:_** _The **Tanabata festival** is the **Star festival** in Japan. It usually occurs in August, depending on the area. It's the celebrations of two deities: Hikoboshi and Orihime, husband and wife, who are only allowed to see each other once a year. **Tanzaku** are small pieces of paper that people write their wishes on at these festivals. **Takoyaki** are fried balls made from octopus and vegetables. **Amanattō** is candy made from beans (usually adzuki) that are simmered in syrup, coated in refined sugar, and allowed to dry. **Ochokos** are small, cylindrical cups traditionally used to drink sake._

 ** _HAVE A GOOD DAY!_**


	11. Chapter 11

_**YAY FOR MORE REVIEWS! Here's a new chapter. :)**_

* * *

Blood of Spring: Special Girl

 **Chapter Eleven**

Captain Suì-Fēng walked to the Emergency Head Officials meeting, relieving herself of her pain of a vice-captain. By all technicality, she should have dragged his ass out of bed for the meeting, but she didn't feel like it. If the fat bastard got himself in trouble for sleeping in, by all means, she had no problem helping him do it. Especially when the idiot was late getting up for a meeting involving Karakura. She didn't know the specifics, but she'd bet even money that it had to do with what Yoruichi came to her about two months prior.

 _Yoruichi had finished informing her pupil what happened in the World of the Living. Suì-Fēng was sat there, eyes wide for a few moments before her gaze hardened and her signature scowl came to form. She repressed the urge to growl in front of her teacher. "This guy was quick, and he left barely any trace that he was there," Yoruichi told her, crossing her arms and frowning. "I'm looking for similar incidents. I figured the best place to look would be in the Stealth Squad's records."_

 _Suì-Fēng nodded at her and picked her folder back up. "My men would definitely report incidents like this one," she said, a fiery determination sparking new flames as she flipped through the pages. **This guy has a lot of nerve,** she thought as she skimmed the pages._

 _Usually a chuckle, snort or content sigh would rise from Yoruichi at the sight of her student's reaction. But there was only silence. And after a few moments, a worried sigh came instead. "_ _Suì-Fēng," Yoruichi called, her voice low. The tone almost startled the captain. It took more than a sudden attack to make her mentor feel uneasy in any shape or form. It was there, though, and that more than earned a rise from the ebony. "If this man is truly that good, which he might, there's a possibility he never went near the Stealth Squad's operations. Or worse, he already tested his method of hiding with them," she said, her gaze hardening at the end of her sentence._

 _The sudden weight of the situation struck_ _Suì-Fēng, and her eyes actually widened a fraction. Her eyes narrowed then, and the fire in her belly roared. "I understand, Yoruichi-sama."_

Suì-Fēng's scowl deepened, a growl emitting from her. The two of them spent days in the office, going through, not just the Second Division's files, but the files of eight other divisions. The only reason it stopped was because of other stealth operations that Suì-Fēng had to adhere to. There hadn't been another second to look at the last four divisions, and they were just getting ready to look at the Immediate Action Detail. If this meeting was about the man Yoruichi told her about, then the captain hoped that there was some development or escalation in the situation. Something to show that evidence was being uncovered or that they were making a move soon. To make all of that digging seem worth it.

The captain closed her eyes as she got closer to the meeting hall, her frown growing. The Immediate Action Detail was a security force in the Ninth Division, assigned as first responders to the sign of impending danger throughout Seireitei. There was nothing wrong with it, they operated almost as well as the Stealth Squad, even with only one commanding officer. Thinking of the unit made her remember a certain brat apart of the division, which in turn, made the captain groan.

She had promised the former captain that she would observe Ayasegawa before making her title of brat permanent. The captain had made the orders herself the next morning, much to Yoruichi's content. So far, there wasn't anything for her men to report. The sixth seat did her job, trained on her own, occasionally aided her vice-captain. What free time she had left mostly went to hanging out with her friends or the class that the five of them were starting next week. That would prove more interesting, but so far, she was a basic new officer who had yet to go out on a patrol.

 _How will that girl react to stress?_ The ebony wondered, taking her position in the meeting hall. The other captain's and vice-captains were coming in, save for vice-captains Omaede, Sasakibe, Kuchiki, Abarai, as well as the soutaichou himself. _The soutaichou might be meeting Kuchiki and Abarai at the Senkaimon with Sasakibe,_ she thought, cursing her vice-captain under her breath for dragging his ass. The meeting was supposed to start soon.

Omaede came in just after the remaining four head officials arrived. He staggered for a moment then quickly used shunpo, reappearing behind his captain. Eyes were on the fat man, but nothing was said. After a few moments, Yamamoto spoke. "We shall begin the Head Officials meeting now." Everyone turned forward, facing the old man. "Captain Hitsugaya," he called. Suì-Fēng looked down her row and watched the child prodigy step out of line and face the soutaichou. "Would you inform the others of your mission starting five months prior and the events that occurred following," he said.

"Hai, Soutaichou," Hitsugaya said, bowing slightly before standing straight. "Five months ago, I was stationed in Karakura City. The Twelfth Division picked up high reiatsu readings and abnormal reishi levels for the area. I was assigned to investigate the locations and figure out why these events occurred," he said. Some of the officials murmured, while others turned to each other with concerned looks, but Suì-Fēng remained quiet. She remembered this. The albino left for the mission ten days before the new recruits started working.

The captain-commander grunted. "And your findings?" He asked, claiming the room in silence again.

Hitsugaya sighed. "Nothing. There was no trace of the reiatsu at each of the sights I investigated, just pockets of higher quality reishi. I searched the surrounding areas and tried to find commonalities between each location and couldn't find anything that could explain these events. Furthermore, three weeks before my assignment ended, the events ceased entirely. Whatever had been causing them had stopped, and nothing else occurred that required me to stay longer," he said, not looking away from the head-captain.

Kurotsuchi scoffed. "So, your inadequacy led to a lack of results. How much more did you mess up while you were down there?" He said. Suì-Fēng resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the maniac. She didn't approve of the lack of evidence either, but it wasn't like Kurotsuchi would go into the field and handle the investigation himself. Not that anyone thought that would be a good idea.

Kyouraku lowered his hat. "If you're asking that, we should be asking you the same thing. It was your division that prompted the urgency of the activity down in Karakura. Why wasn't that scanner able to lead Captain Hitsugaya to any actual evidence?" This time Suì-Fēng resisted the urge to smirk, hearing the scientist audibly stiffen from the other end of the row.

Yamamoto tapped his staff on the ground. "That is enough," he said calmly. "Captain Hitsugaya, what did you do prior to your return two months ago?"

The albino's eyes narrowed. "I gave my Soul Phone to Kurosaki Ichigo and told him to call if anything happened."

"And did it?" Hitsugaya nodded. "When?"

"Roughly thirteen hours after I left," he said. "Kurosaki had finished fighting a hollow when he noticed someone nearby, someone surrounded with reishi from the Seireitei." The statement got more than a few people's eyes to widen, but Suì-Fēng's narrowed. It was the exact situation Yoruichi described. "He chased the individual into an alley and discovered seven recently killed humans. Their souls were all nearby. The individual used the shock of the sight to get away before Kurosaki could see where he went."

The soutaichou nodded. "Thank you, Captain Hitsugaya." The albino nodded and stepped back to his spot. "In response to the event, vice-captain Matsumoto was sent to investigate and was ordered to return in forty-eight hours with a report. Vice-captains Abarai and Kuchiki were sent to continue investigating without her." Yamamoto turned to Rukia. "Vice-captain Kuchiki, would you report about the last two months and the progress."

Rukia nodded. "Hai." She then faced the others. "We quickly realized that whoever the individual was must have some knowledge on investigation procedures. As such, we went under Ichigo's idea to look at areas where hollows appeared over three to four months prior to when the seven souls were found, and to investigate all locations Captain Hitsugaya went while in the Land of the Living. Some of the locations had taunting messages directed to the captain and to the Gotai 13, but others held physical evidence. We recovered clothing articles and DNA, whose reishi was too high to have come from the area. Under further investigation, we confirmed the man Kurosaki saw was from the Rukongai."

More talking came after that, much louder than before. Suì-Fēng couldn't blame them then, her eyes had actually widened a bit. Souls from the Rukongai? Someone must have said that out loud, because Rukia turned her head to someone further down the line and said: "Yes." She closed her eyes then. "We believe the reishi deposits came from a makeshift Senkaimon. We also have reason to believe that the soul Ichigo saw didn't come on his own. However, we stopped finding evidence almost two weeks ago. And none of what we found was recent enough to track them down with."

A bit more murmuring came, but you could hear a hum from Ukitake. "If this is the case, Captain Hitsugaya, why did you approve a twenty-four hour return?" He asked the younger albino, more than a bit concerned.

Hitsugaya looked over to him. "Because Abarai and Urahara made a plan to draw them out of hiding. One that wouldn't work unless I approved their return under emergency orders." The captain then looked down at the red-head. "Urahara didn't specify what exactly this plan was, though," he said, a scrutinizing brow sent to the ginger.

Renji blanched for a moment, but quickly recovered and cleared his throat. "Gomenasai, Taichou," he said as everyone turned to stare at him. "It occurred to me that, although these guys all made taunts towards you while you were down there, they never did so visibly. They waited for you to leave and then led Ichigo to those souls to taunt him. We weren't going to find anything if we stayed, but-"

"They may choose to taunt Kurosaki again, now that you left." Captain Kuchiki finished for him. "So, you intend to wait by the Senkaimon all day until Urahara contacts you and catch them upon your return?" The nobleman asked, an air of disapproval around him.

The vice-captain shook his head. "Not quite, Captain. If the individual's allies are as fast as him, I wouldn't expect that kind of luck."

"Then what are you hoping to accomplish?" Yamamoto asked.

Renji turned his head towards the captain-commander. He was slightly nervous, but for the most part, he managed to compose himself. "If they appear, which I assume will occur over twelve hours from now, then Urahara has experimental methods to use in order to track them, should they run or get away. He has tools ready to use, and our return will add pressure onto them. The chances this new foe will make a mistake is bound to increase," he said.

"Assuming that you're actually right about this," Suì-Fēng said, a hand on her hip and her steely gaze on the red-head. "Your plan is based on an assumption. Even if you're right about this, how can you guarantee that they aren't anticipating this?"

The vice-captain of the sixth sighed. "We can't," he said, making the captain of the Second glare harder. "But we're out of options. All other forms of evidence has left little to go on, and other procedures will take months to accumulate results. We need to find these souls and get them out of Karakura."

A growl escaped the captain and Rukia put a hand to her chin. "Actually, Captain Suì-Fēng, Yoruichi wanted me to ask you if you know of anything that occurred in the Rukongai that's similar to what's happening in Karakura."

Suì-Fēng wanted to smile at knowing her teacher thought of her, but she let out a sigh instead. "No. I looked through nine out of thirteen division's files and found nothing in relation. Stealth Squad operations started piling in, so I only got to look at those nine," she admitted, looking at the soutaichou as she did so.

Yamamoto grunted, turning to her. "What divisions did you not get to?" He asked her.

The ebony regained her composure. "Files in the Seventh, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh divisions," she said.

The captain-commander nodded. "Very well. Officials of these divisions shall look through their records and finish where you left off," he said. "Captain Hitsugaya."

"Hai, Soutaichou."

"You are hereby alleviated of your duties as commander of operations so you may look through your records. Captain Suì-Fēng shall take over in your place, and return with vice-captains Abarai and Kuchiki when they are called back to the World of the Living. Is that understood?"

"Hai, Soutaichou!" Both captains said in unison.

The old man tapped his staff on the floor, a loud clack echoing in the meeting hall. "Then I hereby bring this head official's meeting to an end," he said. Everyone nodded, and from there, people left their separate ways. Suì-Fēng just realized what she had been assigned, and went on to internally cheer. She was gonna be stationed in the human world and see her teacher. If not for the circumstances, she would have smiled.

"Suì-Fēng," a male voice called. The captain of the Second looked down, noticing the captain of the Tenth standing before her. His gaze was as serious as ever, and his hands were in his pockets. "Something worth considering," he said, making her turn her body full to him. "Whoever these souls are, they're comfortable around whatever threatens them: Shinigami and Hollow alike. Seeing how far they went just to taunt Kurosaki, I wouldn't be surprised if their means are more drastic when faced with an actual opponent," he told her.

The leader of the Stealth Squad wasn't shocked when the albino said it, but his words struck a chord. They stared each other down for a few moments, Hitsugaya exchanging caution while Suì-Fēng returned urgency. The two didn't talk much at all, but when they had to, the conversations ended in mutual understanding. They nodded at each other and left, almost walking side-by-side as they walked out of the meeting hall. When they returned to their divisions, they began mentally preparing for the new danger around the corner. That is, after scolding their vice-captains about the mound of work they had ahead of them.

* * *

Yumichika sat in a café in East District 3, in the city near where he lived, wearing a beautiful but casual purple kimono. He was waiting for Ikkaku to show up so they could eat, go hiking and take a jump into the lake. Summer was still alive and well this July Eighteenth, and they were gonna have some fun like they did back in Kusajishi. The summers in those springs were a lot of fun, and they provided a nice break of fighting for money (and for fun). They were never too cold, and they had fun just swimming and splashing water at each other. Now that Yumichika lived in East District 3, they actually brought other things with them for more variety to their days.

 _At least the life guards are retired,_ the elder brother thought, thinking back. He remembered the summer he first brought Haruchi out swimming. They didn't live in East District 3, but there was a large lake that all the kids in the village swam in during the summer. She was eight years old then and she hadn't seen what a lake was... Or a stream, or a creek, or any other body of water. The girl had been so isolated before he met her, she barely remembered what a town was.

The elder brother sighed, placing his elbow on the table and his head in his hand. The only reason he was still here was because she wanted him to. Yumichika had the day off, but he could have pushed it for a different day and go to work with his sister, but Haruchi wouldn't let him. "We hang out enough, Yumi-nii," she said that morning. "Besides, Ika would kill you if you just skipped out on him. Go have fun and we'll have dinner together later. Okay?"

Another heavy sigh escaped him as he began rubbing his eyes. She was right, but last night was still playing in his head. Every instinct he had as a brother was to keep his sister as close to him as possible, but every instinct as a decent person told him that wouldn't do any good. Or her, for that matter. He would always be there for Haruchi, but he couldn't force her to come flying into his loving his arms. "It's like when she was a child," he said to himself, his forehead now in his hand and his eyes looking at the table.

"What is?" Yumichika's head popped up and then jolted to his left. Standing beside him was Ikkaku, wearing a green kimono and resting a hand on his hip. He was looking down at the ebony in a mixture of annoyance and concern, a look Yumichika knew all too well at this point.

The fifth seat sighed again, motioning to the seat across from him. Ikkaku sat down and both of them ordered iced tea from the waitress, Yumichika ignoring her advances towards him. When she walked away, Yumichika set his hand on the table and the other one in his lap, letting out a breath. "It's Haruchi," he said, making the look on Ikkaku's face harden. "She went to the South 55 Memorial yesterday."

"Oh fuck," Ikkaku muttered under his breath, putting his hand over his eyes as he rested his elbow on the table. "How bad was she crying when she got home?" He asked after a few minutes, moving his hand so his chin was resting on the back of it.

The waitress came back with their drinks then and they ordered a sushi platter for lunch. When he was sure the girl wouldn't come back to hit on him again, Yumichika leaned over the table, speaking a little quieter than normal volume. "She didn't. Captain Hitsugaya bumped into her there and walked her home."

"You're shitting me."

Yumichika shook his head, his frown growing. "I made a king's feast for when she got back and she seemed really happy when she saw it. If the captain wasn't in the entrance, I would have thought she was fine," he said, folding his hands on the table. Ikkaku took a sip of his drink, watching his friend fiddle his thumbs. He knew better than to talk when he was like this, especially involving Haruchi. They'd get off topic quick and Yumichika would only get more moody.

If took a few minutes, but the ebony did speak again. "He said he was afraid of where her head was and was planning on staying with her until I got home," he finally said, feeling something try to catch in his throat. The fact got a wide-eyed reaction from Ikkaku, real shock coming at full force. No wonder Yumichika was upset. "He didn't leave until he was sure I would keep an eye on her. She told him about Takuya, she cried but she was also trying to push her emotions aside."

"Ah Kami," Ikkaku said, putting his head back in his hand. They were quiet again, only moving when the waitress came back with their food. She slipped a paper to Yumichika in a not-subtle manner. When her back was turned, Yumichika tore the parchment and set it aside to put with whatever napkin he'd use. The two grabbed their chopsticks and began eating. "Captain Hitsugaya say anything else?" Ikkaku asked after eating three pieces.

Yumichika shook his head. "No, he left shortly after he told me all of that," he said, taking a sip of his tea. "Dinner went well. She didn't mention where she went or why Captain Hitsugaya was with her." Ikkaku nodded as the ebony inhaled deeply. "After that, we did some stuff together. Talked about different clothes and makeup. More like I was, I should say. Fifteen minutes in and she was off in her head again." Again, Ikkaku nodded. "When I asked what was wrong, she said that she just couldn't believe Captain Hitsugaya held her hand when he walked her home."

The third seat let out a scoffed laugh, shaking his head. "Wow, she tried to get you off topic that early in the night?" He received a nod from his friend before shaking his heading again, chuckling. "Man, that girl doesn't learn," he said, eating more sushi.

Yumichika began to laugh a bit at that. It was exactly like when she was first brought home. Yumichika encouraged her to come to him if something was bugging her and the seven-year-old tried covering up the fact she was having nightmares about the prior years. It took a lot of coaxing for her to understand she could wake up her brother and tell him about it. Even more for her to accept that she wasn't bothering Yumichika by waking him up, but by making him worry about her. It was a cycle she had gone through a few times growing up.

"What did you say to her?" Ikkaku asked, sipping more of his tea.

The brother sighed. "The usual. That I knew she was lying, and that it was alright to talk to me if something was bugging her. Haruchi was persistent for a little while that things were fine. We ended up yelling at each other and she locked herself up in her room." A groan came from the third seat, and the ebony just ran a hand through his hair. "She knocked on my door around two in the morning, trying to cry quietly."

Well, there was something Ikkaku didn't expect. "She spill her guts?" He asked, holding a piece of sushi up with his chopsticks.

Yumichika hummed to himself, his lips tightening before he let out a breath. "To an extent. Haruchi kept apologizing at first, then she told me about her nightmare. It was the massacre again, only instead of Takuya dying, I did. And the remaining classmates told her that she had to leave me," he said, sighing. "After that, she tried telling me something else that happened that day, something about Takuya. She got way too upset, though. My special girl couldn't stop crying for hours."

The pair both sighed, Yumichika playing with the left over food on the platter, his mind elsewhere. Ikkaku bore the same look he came in with, his concern overshadowing his annoyance with Haruchi. _Dammit, kid,_ Ikkaku thought, _why can't you just talk? Yumichika's supposed to be the one worrying like this._ "She sleep in your room last night?" Ikkaku asked after about three minutes. Yumichika nodded, eating another piece of sushi. "Well," Ikkaku said, pointing his chopsticks at the ebony, "at least she went to you and tried telling you about it. That's better than her staying in her room all night."

His partner sighed again. "I know, but she kept it to herself for seven years. What other problems has she kept to herself? And for how long?" He said, taking a long sip of his tea.

The third seat sighed. Overprotective-and-worried was a prime combination of what Yumichika was feeling whenever the problem concerned Haruchi. He was the same way before he adopted her. "I can't risk her being sent back to a place like that. A special girl like that has seen enough in her lifetime. She needs a good home, and I'm gonna be the big brother she needs," the fifth seat had said while filling out the adoption forms.

"You know," Ikkaku said as Yumichika put his cup down. "I wouldn't be surprised if there was a shit ton. But Haruchi learned early on that she couldn't always rely on other people with her problems. She has to deal with it on her own. She just hadn't got it through her head that Takuya's death was something she didn't have to face on her own. The fact she tried talking to you about it means she's trying to move on." The last sentence got Yumichika to lift his head a bit, his eyes softening as he thought it over. He wasn't relieved, but some of his concern disappeared. "So, rather than moping about everything Haruchi might have kept from you, be ready to help her through it. She clearly needs it."

This time Yumichika smirked, letting out a chuckle before nodding. "Let's finish before that waitress comes back," he said.

"Don't have to tell me twice."

* * *

Haruchi sat in the back room of Ninth Division's East Assembly Hall. It was one of the larger assembly halls in the division, and provided enough room for over 200 people, but considering how much space she needed, it was perfect for the sixty students that signed up for her class. It used to be almost 100 people, but several Shinigami dropped out. It was more like a courtyard than an assembly hall, which she liked. The backroom was a good room to have so most of the course tests could take place in privacy. For now, though, it was just being used to have meetings with her fellow instructors. A meeting they could actually have today since all of their head officials were in a meeting.

The sixth seat sighed, lying on her back as she listened to the sound of wood clanking together. Her fifth seat was training his flanks in the Immediate Action Detail. He knew she was in the back, and gave her and her friends permission to be there so long as their meeting was quiet. That was fine by Haruchi, the sound of the men training was relaxing to her. It honestly reminded her of days Ikkaku visited and would train Yumichika in the backyard after dinner. The sound somehow managed to get the red-streaked-ebony to fall asleep, and her brother would end up carrying her to her room. Haruchi never understood why, she always woke up after her brother pulled the comforter over her. She'd then reach her arms out to him when this happened, telling him that she wanted her bedtime hug.

Thinking about the people training in the assembly hall made Haruchi scowl, her eyes closing as she suppressed a groan. A lot of the Shinigami that left the course did it because of their schedules, but Haruchi bet a limb that some of them changed their minds or were pressured into dropping out because of the rumors about her. It couldn't be avoided, even if what happened with that professor didn't happen. She was the younger sister of a highly regarded officer of the Eleventh Division. The rumors were gonna spread regardless of what happened.

A part of her was still upset by that, but a bigger part of her was relieved that she accepted it. It made her job feel a little less stressful that way, and it allowed her to focus on things that were more important. Her family, her paperwork, the class she was teaching, which was finally gonna happen in a week. **_"That snowy-haired captain you're dating."_**

Haruchi's cheeks turned red as she felt her zanpakuto fluttering around her, the insect's giggles making her more flustered. "We're not dating," she told the butterfly as it landed on her chest. "I had to carry him to the restaurant, remember?" She said, lifting up a bit so she could see the creature. The butterfly had a black body with bright red eyes. Its wings were also red and reflected the light in the room, but not like the black exterior, which shined like metal and had points that were actually sharp. The wings also had a design composed of three black lines on each wing. They resembled scratch marks, which started from the body and glided over the crimson coloring. The wingspan of the creature was about three-quarters the length of her mistress's chest.

The zanpakuto giggled again, flapping her wings every so often, but not preparing to leave Haruchi's chest anytime soon. **_"Oh, I remember, Mistress,"_ **she said, her voice coy. **_"I also remember him walking you home last night, letting go your hand only to wrap it around your waist, then used his free hand to grab yours again. He's rather smooth for being a wielder of ice."_** She giggled again as her master's blush deepened. **_"Besides, you two both admitted you weren't just superior and subordinate."_**

"That doesn't mean we're a couple!" Haruchi angrily whispered to the zanpakuto, glaring at her. She was lucky she remembered the training session going on just outside the room.

The butterfly let out a groan that somehow mixed glee with disbelief. **_"Oh Mistress, who are you trying to kid? You're more than attracted to the captain."_**

"I am not!" The sixth seat persisted, still managing to stay quiet. "The captain's a good man, but he's not my type," she said.

 ** _"You mean he's not taller than you like every boyfriend before him? Those idiots were just as bad at being romantic as they were at having sex."_ **Haruchi let herself snicker. She wouldn't disagree with her zanpakuto on that last part. **_"Besides, you've always found his looks captivating, and you feel safe when he's around. Plus, you always thought of him as a man, whereas the others were boys when you met them and boys when you dumped them."_**

"He's a captain."

 ** _"And yet, you opened up to him quite a bit yesterday."_ **Haruchi clamped her jaw shut, looking away from the giggling butterfly. _**"Mistress, looks are important to you, but I think you find the captain's cold demeanor almost as attractive as his smile. I also think you enjoy interacting with him more than anyone else you know, and that you more than enjoyed him holding you yesterday,"** _she said.

Her mistress's face turned red at that point, flash moments of the day before playing in her head. The butterfly giggled as Haruchi went through them, but eventually the ebony shook her head. "Do you think he talked to Yumi-nii before he left?" She asked the insect.

The zanpakuto's wings flapped up, touching each other as the creature hummed for an answer. **_"It wouldn't surprise me,"_** she said. **_"He wasn't there for too long after you went upstairs, so I don't think he told your brother everything."_** Haruchi sighed, lying back down and folding her hands behind her head. **_"Mistress, I'm glad you tried to tell your brother what happened that day. If it's still hard, though, you should explain the reason you never said anything about it. Give him some insight why this is so hard for you,"_** she said.

It was quiet then and Haruchi closed her eyes. The tint on her face disappeared, the sound of swords slicing wood calming her mind somewhat. She felt her zanpakuto climb up her chest until she was perched on her nose. Haruchi said nothing for a few moments, feeling air pushed towards her every minute or so as the insect flapped her wings. Then she opened her eyes. "Why do I feel so safe around a man I barely know?" She asked the butterfly, thinking of brunch yesterday. It did feel good to tell the captain what happened, but she couldn't help but feel confused by it. He was right, after all. She didn't have to answer him if she didn't want to. Except, she did want to.

The butterfly sighed, a dreamy air about her. **_"As they say, Mistress: 'love is a strange thing.'"_ **Haruchi sat straight, her face turning pink as her zanpakuto left her. She would have mentally dropped a thousand curses towards the butterfly, had the outside entrance into the hadn't opened. Haruchi looked up, four sets of eyes sets of eyes staring at her.

The first set, the one belonging to the guy standing in front of the group, were the brown eyes of Asahi Jiro. Pale skinned and actually wearing a regular shihakusho today, the Tenth Seat of the Second Division could actually show off his beautiful black hair, not that he cared about his looks. Jiro only kept up appearances for hygiene's sake and nothing else. He had very little interest in other people. The fact he had enough interest in Haruchi to actually hang out with her these last five years was astonishing.

Behind him was Miyazaki Yusuke, the Ninth Division's new Twelfth Seat. She was a beautiful girl, a few centimeters shorter than Haruchi. Wild cobalt hair down to the waist, gold eyes and tanned skin, Yusuke was more than a bit exotic. She never did anything to make herself stand out, but then again she never had to. As fun as she was at parties and with boys though, it wasn't until she met Haruchi just two years prior that she decided to stick with a particular group.

Then finally there was the couple of the group: Tenth Seat Shinozuka Kimi of the Fifth Division and Eighth Seat Komagata Hiroshige of the Third Division. Kimi had green eyes, short brown hair, and creamy skin. She stood at 160 centimeters and was just as curvy as Haruchi, but she was only slightly less shy than her vice-captain. Although, that was only because of Hiroshige. Messy green hair, grey eyes and a good build on him, the eighth seat was the most energetic of the group and by far the most out going. Haruchi knew them for six and seven years respectively, and they were good to be around.

Hiroshige smirked at her. "Akai Yuri messing with you again, Chi-kun?"

Haruchi gave him a playful glare. "No, Shi-chan, I was blushing because of the dust." The eighth seat laughed and the group made their way inside.

"Shouldn't your zanpakuto be more respectful of you, Haruchi?" Jiro asked in disapproval, sitting with his legs crossed.

The sixth seat shrugged. "Akai Yuri does respect me, Jiro," she said, feeling the butterfly glare at her. "She just likes messing with me." Jiro shook his head in disapproval and Akai Yuri threatened to come flapping into the conversation. _I'm sorry,_ she told the zanpakuto.

 ** _"Then stop calling me that!"_ **She bellowed.

"Lighten up, Asahi. Haruchi-sama can more than handle that bug," Yusuke said as she sat next to Haruchi.

The _bug_ was unamused. "Let's just get to the meeting, okay guys?" Haruchi said, sweat forming at sensing her zanpakuto's shift in mood. "We won't be able to meet again until the class starts, so we need to be sure we're organized this time through." Everyone nodded at her and gathered in a circle. "Alright, so I did the investory count. We're all set. Not just for beginner level, but the other three levels of learning. We shouldn't need to worry about the Twelfth Division unless something breaks."

"Thank Kami," Kimi said, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "I don't understand why it was so hard to deal with them to begin with."

Haruchi shrugged. "Couldn't tell ya, Kimi." She then turned to the girl's boyfriend. "You got the name plates done?" Hiroshige nodded. "And the placement chart?"

The eighth seat pulled out a folded sheet of paper and revealed its contents to the group. It was a drawing of the assembly hall, with four rows of boxes drawn out, twelve boxes per row. Each box had a name scribbled in it, starting from the back of the row, near the main entrance, to the front near the platform where the instructors would stand. Haruchi took the chart and looked it over for a few minutes before saying: "I want Captain Hitsugaya at the front of row three. Other than that, the placement is perfect." Hiroshige smirked and Haruchi turned to Jiro. "Did the instructor garments come in?"

"Yesterday afternoon," Jiro told her. "The Head Instructor uniform included the arm bands you wanted. I left them in the barracks, though. Didn't want to be late."

"Eh, we'll just go over and grab them once we're done," the red-streaked-ebony said. She turned to Yusuke and Kimi. "And attendance, are we still looking good for next week?" The girls nodded at her with bright smiles. "And the volunteers from the Fourth Division?"

Yusuke smirked. "Five unseated officers and their Seventh Seat. And they agreed to check people in and out for us."

Haruchi's hands clapped together, her face beaming. "Excellent! Now, let's talk about how the first few classes will go. We got a lot to cover with five dozen newbies." The four friends nodded, and their morning consisted of nothing but discussion and actual eagerness to begin teaching. Months of planning and years of training were finally coming together.

* * *

 _ **I'm starting to get a little nervous, to be honest. Not just because of how quick the story is coming together and the fear of running out of ideas for updates. But, I'm also afraid about my OCs. I'm not making too many, but I just don't want the ones I make to feel pointless. It's happened before, and so far, I've avoided that. But I sense things will start to get more challenging as we go forward. It's actually one of the reasons this update took as long as it did, so... fair warning.**_

 ** _Also, I had a bit of trouble with Suì-Fēng. She's playing a larger role than I first thought she would, so any tips on her character, I'd appreciate it. I am shooting in the dark when it comes to her. What makes her act differently than the composed, cold captain of the Second (aside from Yoruichi)? Anything else you guys think I should know?_**

 _ **~ K. Fang-sama**_

 _ **Tranlations:**_

 _\- Akai Yuri: (赤いユリ) Red Lilies._


	12. Chapter 12

_**Updates are getting longer, but that's all to make sure the story turns out good. I've got an entire map of where this is going, and it's still expanding.**_

* * *

Blood of Spring: Special Girl

 **Chapter Twelve**

Haruchi was walking around outside, a bag dangling from her shoulder. She was stomping her feet and keeping her fists balled to her sides. _Stupid Fourth Seat with his stupid orders. Why the fuck do I have to stay this late? Excuse me, Gozaki-san, but just because your work isn't done doesn't mean mine isn't. Get the fuck over yourself!_ She thought. Oh, how much she wanted to scream this in her fourth seat's face. How much she wanted to punch his face in for being so overbearing and controlling. How much she craved defiance in that moment and every moment to come.

But she wouldn't. Because Fourth Seat Gozaki was the highest ranking officer in the Immediate Action Detail. That is, aside from their vice-captain, who ran it. If she wanted in, she had to deal with him. Especially since Gozaki would be the one evaluating her when she began leading patrols in a couple months. _At least he's not training me,_ she thought. No, thankfully that was left to her fifth seat, who was much easier to work with. The man only got real upset when people made obvious errors in their grammar.

The perks of working in the Ninth Division. Not only were they the security force, but the were also the center of art and culture in the Gotai 13. They made the newspapers, they printed cards and books, they held art shows, and they were in charge of organizing festivals within the Gotai 13, even if it wasn't their division hosting them. These were only a handful of the artistic functions of the division, which Haruchi enjoyed. Every division has their drawbacks, though. In this case, Haruchi didn't have a third seat to complain to about Gozaki.

The sixth seat sighed, sitting down on a nearby bench as she combed her fingers through her hair. She didn't like going to Shuuhei about every thing that bugged her about her superiors. He had enough to deal with as it was. When she walked by his office, he was having Yusuke and some of the other lower seats bring in files by the stack. She asked if she could help, but he told her no. Apparently a few other divisions had to go through their files, and the project was deemed: "head officials only," much to the vice-captain's dismay.

Haruchi sighed again, digging through her bag and taking out a sketch pad and a pencil. At least she was able to leave the division. If she stayed in her office and Gozaki saw her drawing, she would never hear the end of it. The guy's long, samurai mustache was the only loose thing about him. _He should just shave the damn thing,_ she thought. _You may be a Fourth Seat, but you aren't bringing any girls in because you're attractive._ The red-streaked-ebony shook her head, a sigh escaping her lips once more. All he needs now is for his hair to turn gray, and his looks would match his personality.

She opened her sketch book and looking down at the pictures, smiling at the fruits of her labor. Each picture was unique. A snapshot of days past. One picture had Ikkaku chasing Yachiru around the yard as she ran off with all of his dumplings. Another had her Uncle Ken sitting down at her dining room table, smiling down at her, but not in his standard smirk. Most of the pictures, though, were of her older brother. In one picture, he was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, smirking at his reflection after he got ready for the day. In another, he was sitting on the floor of his room, having opened the bedroom door after she knocked on it, and he was smiling at her.

There were many pictures of Yumichika, actually. Many memories that she looked back on with a smile. "Time changes a lot of things," she said as she turned the page. The next page actually had her friends. She had Kimi and Hiroshige snuggling with each other as well as jumping when someone surprised them. She had pictures of them individually, Kimi sitting next to her in class, Hiroshige showing off his Hakuda skills to her. There were only a couple with Yusuke, but the one where she punched a grabby guy at a bar made Haruchi chuckle. Then there was Jiro, bruised and tired, in a forested area wearing a hakama, and training with his released zanpakuto.

She stared at the last one for a few moments, her face crossed between relief and awe. The simple, claymore-styled, one-handed, double-edged-sword was so elegant, so pristine. It was shorter than the long sword in question, not to mention a bit thicker. No one would dare look at it and think it capable of half the destruction it could cause. The repercussions for that power were quite heavy, though. _Thank Kami the worst of it's over. I don't think they'd have let him graduate if he got behind a third year,_ she thought, narrowing her eyes before turning the page.

Now, here were her more recent masterpieces. She had a few of Hisagi, resting on the couch in the office, smiling at her as she helped out with the paperwork, and even one of him yelling at Gozaki for calling her the Eleventh Division's Brat. That one always made her laugh. Especially since Gozaki looked like he was about to piss himself.

The next two were ones she was close to finishing, but they weren't quite there yet. Haruchi had to add in another layer of color, in certain areas of their faces and hair, and the shading for their clothes had to be adjusted. Other than that, the pictures for vice-captains Abarai and Matsumoto were looking pretty good. _Better get to work. Ya never know when he's coming back,_ she thought.

Haruchi grabbed her crimson colored pencil and went back to Renji's eyes. She hadn't touched them much and they didn't have much depth to them at this point. It was simple for her to fix, but it had been bothering her for days now. The sixth seat stopped drawing Matsumoto two months ago to start this drawing, and she wanted to finish it before Renji got back. She didn't know when his assignment in the Human World ended, but it could be at any time now.

The ebony stayed there until the sun began to dip into the horizon, vaguely hearing crickets off in the distance. She had chosen a pretty secluded walkway to sit at, so not many Shinigami walked by in that timeframe. Aside from a few stares, Haruchi felt pretty comfortable where she was. The sixth seat was certain that Gozaki wouldn't come looking for her, but if he did, she didn't want him to find her too quickly.

Looking at her finished creation with a smirk, Haruchi packed up her things and looked at her watch. She cursed at the time. It was only a few minutes past eight, she couldn't ask to be dismissed, yet. Nine in the evening had become a standard with Gozaki left in charge of the night detail. Something that was beginning to get more and more common. Her fifth seat was handling a few things during the morning detail, including upcoming events. If not for that, Gozaki wouldn't be supervising anything but his flanks in the Immediate Action Detail.

A sigh escaped Haruchi's lips as she walked away from the bench, her bag over her shoulder. _Now what?_ She thought. Drawing was out of the question. Her natural light was beginning to disappear and her hand needed a break. She didn't want to go to the Eleventh, her Uncle Ken was in such a bad mood earlier. The Eighth and Thirteenth Divisions were out of the question, their captains were rather busy. Then there were her fellow instructors. Yusuke was still working, Kimi and Hiroshige had the day off, and Jiro was resting because of the stealth operation he had earlier.

Another sigh came. Really, who was there left to waste time with? Much as she hated to say it, there wasn't anything left for her to do for anyone. Except for Gozaki, but no way was Haruchi going back to the Ninth Division. She'd rather pull out all her teeth than face that man. _This is one of the worst days for Yumi-nii to have the day off,_ she thought. _Even though... he really needed it._

Haruchi sighed at that, lowering her head and watching the cracks pass under her feet. She had to talk to him again when she got home. He probably spent most of the morning worrying about her, at the very least. Ikkaku might have succeeded with lightening the mood, but Yumichika would want to continue where things ended the night before, which was a talk she was not looking forward to.

She shuddered, adjusting the strap of her bag. Why did she get like this when he was so stressed? Why was her most emotional moments on days where Yumichika was always so busy and worrying about other shit? Why did-

The sixth seat stopped, shaking her head as she did so. _Yumi-nii told you to stop thinking like that,_ she thought, her frown deepening. Yumichika had done so much for her, she knew he cared more that she was alright. But she just didn't want to try and explain that day again, even if it was just explaining why this was so hard on her. The butterfly known as her zanpakuto was right, he needed to know that much, at least. It was just... so fucking stupid.

The younger Ayasegawa hit herself, a light row of fingers tapping her forehead. _Okay, I really need something to do,_ she thought, turning her head back and forth. The Tenth Division courtyard wasn't too far off from where she was, and everything seemed quiet over there. On top of that, the lights were still on in the captain's office. _If I'm lucky, maybe he's not too busy,_ she thought, smiling.

 ** _"Going to see the boyfriend, are we?"_ **Her zanpakuto giggled.

 _Shut up,_ she told her, flushing slightly but still just as coy with the insect. _I'm just going to see if he needs help with something,_ she added, smiling as she ran to the Tenth. Her zanpakuto giggled again, but said nothing. She felt eager, and she was quite curious about the young captain. He was certainly enticing her mistress more than other boys did. Briefly, the insect wondered if the captain had attracted any girls prior to Haruchi, or if he ever dated them. No doubt, the red-streaked-ebony would come to wonder the same thing.

Haruchi arrived at the Tenth Division, greeting the guards as she came in. "Is there something that needs to be relayed to Vice-captain Matsumoto?" One of the asked as she entered the courtyard.

The sixth seat giggled before looking back. The men were so curious about her assignment with Rangiku. They failed to realize it was just supervision detail, and interpreted the assignment as aiding with additional work while their captain was gone: both office and fighting detail. They also didn't know she was a new recruit, so she couldn't blame them. The gleaming curiosity they had was actually very cute, so it got her in a good mood.

She shook her head at them. "No, I just need to talk with the captain. It's just some paperwork detail he needs to know for morning," she said, shrugging. The men chuckled nervously and she smirked back at them, putting a hand on her hip. "Hey, no one said being a seated officer was always exciting. The paperwork doesn't make it too glamorous, either." The men laughed with her for a bit and she turned back towards the building. "Anything I should know before I go in?"

They nodded. "Yes, Captain Hitsugaya is working on a head official's assignment," the guard to her left said.

Haruchi's eyes widened. "Yeah, he barely finished the afternoon load and he's trying to get through as many files as possible," another one further back said.

She put her hand to her chin. _The Tenth's included as well? How many divisions have to go through their files? And why?_ Haruchi then looked at the men. "Thank you, Gentlemen. I'll see you when I come out." With a nod from the men, Haruchi went inside.

As she walked through the halls towards the captain's office, Haruchi began feeling a wave of regret. Going through files was not fun, she knew, and it was also a very time-consuming job. With Rangiku probably not there and the fact only head officials were allowed to partake in the project, she was certain the albino was as swamped as Hisagi was. Haruchi didn't want to bother him if that was the case, but honestly, what else would she do? _The worst that'll happen is he'll say hi and ask me to leave so he can concentrate,_ she told herself.

With a huffed breath, the ebony knocked on the office door and placed her hands behind her back. "Who is it?"

Haruchi cleared her throat. "Sixth seat Ayasegawa Haruchi. May I come in, Captain?"

There was a sound of paper stacks being dropped, as well as some ruffling papers. It was like that for three minutes before Toshiro spoke. "Enter." The red-streaked-ebony did so, closing the door with quick grace before turning on her heel so she was facing the captain's direction. As expected, there were files placed on every surface within the office, save for the walkways to the desks. Hitsugaya only had enough room on his desk to grab files and open them in front of them. One wrong move and he would end up buried by the stacks near him.

The spot in front of him was clear at the moment, and the albino was sipping on his tea. "What can I do for you, Ayasegawa?" He asked as he set his cup down. His serious demeanor had softened a bit. Because of the meeting, he hadn't seen Haruchi that morning, and her seventh seat was handling her afternoon run, which had never happened before today. "Is everything all right?" He then asked.

The ebony blinked but then shook her head, putting a hand on the back of her neck and grinning nervously. "Yes, Captain, everything's fine. I just wanted to come see how you were doing." She let her muscles relax a bit, her smile becoming more sheepish. "I didn't see you at all this morning, and I had to help the event management staff this afternoon." Hitsugaya stared at her for a few moments but then nodded, motioning her to come towards the desk before taking a sip of tea. Haruchi came forward, careful not to bump into any of the stacks along the way. "Where's Ranni?" She asked, half-glaring at the vice-captain's desk. The captain shouldn't have been doing this file assignment on his own. How could Rangiku leave him when it was clearly so important to do?

The captain groaned. "I let her go home. She stayed and helped during the day, but she wouldn't stop whining. I'm surprised I got through half of what I did," he said, rubbing his right eye and the area around it. "These files need to be gone through quickly, but only head officials are privy to what we need to look for. So we're on our own, here."

Haruchi stared at the captain, a sense of helplessness rising from her. "And because Ranni is Ranni, you're getting through everything faster by yourself than with her here." He nodded at her. "I wish I could help," Haruchi said. "You and Hisagi-fukutaichou alike. He was buried when I left my division, earlier." Toshiro gave her a hum and a nod before grabbing his cup and drinking from it, again. "Does this have to do with the...thing that was bugging you, yesterday?"

Hitsugaya didn't answer immediately. He just held his cup, closing his eyes and taking some calming breaths. For a moment, Haruchi thought she made the captain mad. Even as he sipped a bit more of his tea, she began wondering if she should have reserved the question. Whatever the situation was, it was enough to stress the albino to the point of losing sleep and skipping meals. At least until yesterday. But Toshiro only sighed, opening his turquoise eyes before setting his cup on the desk. "Yes, this is now my primary assignment on the matter," he said.

The sixth seat blinked. "'Primary assignment?' What about your previous assignment on it?"

The albino looked away, crossing his arms and directing his signature scowl at the file stack near the edge of his desk. "It was given to Suì-Fēng. Some other officials and I have to pick up on finding a lead through our files while she handles the mission on the frontlines," he said, careful with his words. Toshiro wasn't permitted to tell other officers what exactly he was looking for, nor was he allowed to give details about the assignment in the Human World. There really wasn't any harm telling her that Suì-Fēng was put in charge. She'd wonder where the captain of the Second was tomorrow, anyway.

Teal eyes blinked some more, and their owner was beginning to frown a bit. "I...I'm sorry to hear that, Captain. I know how concerned you were about this," she said.

Toshiro did a double-take, eyes wide at hearing the girl upset. "It...it's not that, Ayasegawa. The decision was a sound one, really. Suì-Fēng is more than capable, and her expertise has become a necessity." Haruchi looked less than convinced, narrowing her eyes at the floor and frowning more. "Besides," the captain said after a few minutes, "at least this job gives me something to do about the situation." She looked up and Toshiro flashed her a smile, which she returned.

They stayed like this for a few seconds, a comfortable silence filling the air. Haruchi's eyes almost had that warm, beaming look to them. The look that took away all the mundane feelings the office bore. It didn't bring life back to the room, but it did make the captain feel a little replenished. If not for Matsumoto's absence, the atmosphere would have been a more midday-mundane, when the albino had more energy to work.

The captain looked away, moving to grab another file. "So, what brings you down here? Aren't you normally working at this hour?" He asked, his smile only fading slightly as his professional demeanor came rising back into the conversation.

Haruchi groaned out a sigh, shoving her hands in her pockets. "I actually finished my work early, if you'd believe it. I would have gone home hours ago if my fourth seat didn't demand I stay until nine-thirty, just like him," she told him, glaring out of the bottom left corners of her eyes, keeping her attention on the stacks that covered the couch. "I've literally exhausted everything I could do, so I thought I'd at least say hi, since I'm stuck here."

Hearing everything made Hitsugaya straighten his back as he reached for another file, an eyebrow arching as she finished explaining herself. In turn, Haruchi had begun shuffling her feet as she spoke, letting them sway every now and again. However, both failed to notice some of the swaying stacks of files caused by their movements. Not until they had begun to fall, both rushing out of the way at the sight. Haruchi made a small squeal as she jumped back, and it covered up the sound of Hitsugaya's chair screeching as the captain pushed himself back in it.

The pair took in a few quickened breaths after the papers hit the floor, their hearts ready to rip out of their chests. First the stare at the piles on the ground near them, then they looked up at each other. After a few moments, Haruchi processed what she just caused and her face flushed. "Gomenasai, Hitsugaya-taichou, I didn't mean to do that!" She said, quickly getting on her knees and bowing her head until it nearly touched the floor.

Turquoise eyes widened as Toshiro watched her ramble on about her clumsiness. He blinked every so often, processing the red-streaked-ebony's actions. _She gets nervous so easily,_ he thought as she continued. _I would never expect this from Ayasegawa's sister. Certainly not because of an accident. She couldn't possibly be like this **just** because I'm her superior, could she?_

The scene continued for another five minutes. It was around this time that the captain's lips twitched upwards, and in a matter of minutes, he began laughing. It wasn't loud or uncontrolled laughter, but it certainly was the occasional chuckle he'd make every now and again. The pure amusement that came from this sound made Haruchi stop talking. She was afraid of lifting her head, but the continued laughter just made her face flush more cherry red than peach pink.

The laughter only lasted a couple minutes before dying down into hearty chuckles. The color on Haruchi's face certainly threatened to get him laughing again, but the albino shoved the instinct aside. "What are you apologizing for? We both knocked over stacks, and I know you wouldn't do that on purpose," Hitsugaya said. The cheerful tone was enough to make the sixth seat raise her head, the color on her face beginning to fade, save for her cheeks. "There's no reason for you to be apprehensive about such small things."

By now, most of Haruchi's face was back to its normal color palette, but the blush on her cheeks got a bit brighter when she saw the captain's smile, as well as the glimmering look in his eyes. It reminded her of the first snowfall in winter. The excitement she would get at seeing the snow come down. The pure delight as she ran outside and danced in it. They were innocent and happy moments, but to her, winter days with light snowfall were the equivalent of sunny spring days.

She looked down a bit, a small smile coming to her face and warmth returning to her eyes. "Um. Thank you, Captain," she said.

The albino nodded at her before letting another short laugh rise from him. "It's no problem," he said, eyes softening. Haruchi nodded before moving to pick up the files near her. Toshiro did the same, and both of them made sure they were organized before putting them back to the way they were. Once done, Hitsugaya sat back down and Haruchi walked closer to his desk. He looked up at her, turquoise meeting teal as his lips morphed back into a firm line. "Is there anything you wanted to talk about?" He asked.

Haruchi blinked, and the captain watched as she put a hand to her chin. Her blush remained where it was, but she was frowning now, and Hitsugaya knew why. The sixth seat unloaded a lot the day before, and he was certain she had been thinking about it a lot in the last twenty-four hours. As much as some things should be left alone, he didn't believe Haruchi's survivor's guilt was going to sort itself on its own. Hitsugaya was also uneasy about where her head was, still. Haruchi kept herself going for seven years, but he didn't know how long she'd be able to swallow her sorrow.

"Actually," she said, getting the captain's head to perk up, "I wanted to ask you something." She waited for the albino to nod at him before answering, the already-stiff office suddenly feeling a bit stiffer. "Before you left my house, last night," she said, turning her right ankle every-so-often as the ball of her foot rubbed against the floor. "Did you tell my brother about where I was? And what I told you?"

There was an air of nervousness and sadness, which Hitugaya expected. However, there was a tinge worry in Haruchi's voice, something he was almost surprised by. He paused for only a second, but he then nodded at her. "Yes, I told him we were at the memorial together. After everything you told me yesterday, I wanted to make sure someone kept an eye on you."

She turned her head fully when he said that, closing her eyes and knitting her eyebrows together. "How...much did you say to him, exactly?"

Again, the captain was caught off guard for a split second, but then his eyes narrowed. "If you're wondering whether or not I told him about how you found Sachinode-"

"It's not that," she said, an exasperated sigh following as she lowered her head more. "Captain, I would know whether or not you told him that. He would have brought it up when he started yelling, last night. I just need to know before I go home." Toshiro waited, seeing Haruchi's teeth grit together. Yes, he would expect Yumichika to bring it up. "Yumi-nii tried getting me to talk about it, last night, and I just didn't want to think about it. We fought and went to bed pissed at each other."

He rose a brow. "I see, but why do you need to know what I told him?"

A heavy sigh rose from Haruchi as her eyes opened. "A few hours after, I woke up from a nightmare. I woke Nii-sama and I tried to explain it all to him, but..."

"But," Hitsugaya said after a few moments of silence, "you couldn't bring yourself to tell him about it."

She nodded at him, returning her hand to the back of her neck. "I'm going to be talking to him when I get home. I'd like to have some insight about where his head was before we went to bed. At least then, I think I can approach the situation a little better."

The warmth and energy the office had was replaced by a silent chill, which for once, wasn't made by the captain's reiatsu. The two of them could have been compared to statues for the first few moments. The clock was the only thing making a sound, but neither seemed to recognize even that as noise. Turquoise pools gazed on the drooping figure before they narrowed, trying to find its teal set for the longest time. There was nothing to see, though. Red streaks covered these eyes, and they had no intention of revealing the face behind them.

After what felt like hours, Toshiro looked around his sitting area and sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to move a stack of files without toppling over the other ones. Accepting that, he put the file he was reading out of the way and climbed onto his desk. He had to sit down and scoot himself off the thing, which the captain found rather tedious, despite only having to do it for under a minute.

Once his feet were on the floor again, he walked over to Haruchi, grabbing her upper arm with a gentle grip. The girl didn't even notice, she was so lost in herself. "Go home, Ayasegawa."

The ebony's head popped up, surprised teal eyes meeting the albino's face. "Um...what?"

Hitsugaya sighed again, his standard demeanor coming back to him. "I told you to go home. I understand you're comfortable talking to me about this, and I don't mind listening to you. But this is a question you should ask your older brother, as well as one you should be able to," he said, putting his other hand in his pocket. "You can't expect things to get easier if you don't. Do you understand?" She only stared for a few moments, but when they passed, Haruchi nodded, a small smile on her face again. "Good. Now go home and talk to him," Toshiro said, his authoritative tone dipping slightly into playfulness.

He tapped her arm and turned back around, thinking about how to reconstruct the walls of files so he could keep working and not have them fall over. Haruchi smiled at his back for another minute before saying: "Arigatou, Taichou. I hope you have a good evening." Hitsugaya turned his head towards her a bit, giving a nod to show that he heard her. The ebony made it back to the office door without toppling any of files over when a new thought came to her. "Um... Hitsugaya-taichou?" The albino turned fully this time, a brow raised. "What do I say to my Fourth Seat? He won't let me leave for a little while, yet."

Toshiro scoffed, resisting the urge to smirk "If he has a problem with you leaving, then he can take it up with me. You've been helping Matsumoto with an assignment for the last five months, after all."

Haruchi stared for a second, but smiled again. "Thank you, Captain. I hope you rest well."

"Not likely," he said as she opened the door to leave.

She chuckled on her way out, sliding the door shut before making her way outside. She bid the guards a goodnight and began walking home. _**"Not a boyfriend, huh? He could have fooled me,"**_ her butterfly told her.

 _No way,_ Haruchi said to her, glaring at nothing in particular. After a few moments, she stopped, turning around to look at the Tenth Division again, letting out a scoffed laugh. _I think we could be friends, though._

* * *

 _ **This chapter was a lot harder to write than the other ones. I've been focusing on other things, also, so updates won't come near as often as they did before. Especially if I need to expand more with my setup process, or just get stuck on how to get things going. The former hasn't been an issue until now. The next chapter won't come until that's taken care of.**_

 _ **Also, a quick question. I'm debating whether or not to increase the rating on this fic to M and including smut scenes. I've been thinking I should, but I want you guys to decide. If you like that there's a romance that's developing without these scenes, that's fine. I just need to know before I get to that point. It won't be for quite a few chapters yet, but still.**_

 _ **Finally, I'd like to request some constructive criticism. I've expressed concern already with how the fanfiction is turning out. Not just my OCs, but the characters from the anime, the plot, and just how the writing flows. If you like it, then please tell me why. If you think there are problems, give details about it. I am determined, not just to finish this story, but to make it my best work yet. This is the furthest I got with any romance: I don't wanna screw it up.**_

 _ **~ K. Fang-sama**_


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